Killer Of My Heart
by TheyAlwaysUseADagger
Summary: Mina isn't exactly hyped about the fact that she has to work with Teague. But she'll tough it out since Boss told her too. However, what happens when she's given a new job? Will she choose her heart, or her position? Rated T for violence. An AU story.
1. Chapter 1 - Change of Plans

**Chapter One - A Change In Plans**

 **Alright guys! I present to you my newest AU, Killer Of My Heart! There's no Grimm curse in this story - well, not the one we're used to - and Teague doesn't happen to be the Dark Prince. In fact, he's not a prince at all. He and Mina are both...well, I guess we get to find out their jobs in the story! :D Yay!**

 **Also, for those of you that read Truth or Dare : Grimm Edition, I don't think there will be a sequel based on the popular opinion. Which is a shame, since you guys sadly missed something very important, but I like the ending it has now. Soooo, I guess that's all good. :3**

 **Also, majority of this story will be from Mina's POV. ^^**

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

I walk down the hallway in a brisk fashion, rubbing the back of my head one more time to check and make sure the blood has stopped. When I pull my hand away, there's nothing on it. Good. I know I washed my hair to get the crimson color out and the blood had stopped at the time, but I keep wanting to be sure. After all, working for Grimm is a tough line of work. I finished my latest assignment today and was returning for what looked like a welcome break, only to get summoned by Boss himself. Fantastic. That's _exactly_ what I needed today. Rolling my eyes, I take a sharp turn to the left at a split.

This underground, undercover base business is amazingly annoying. Of course, I try not to mind it too much. At least I don't help in the prison as a guard. The Grimorie's conditions are awful for guards, or so I've been told, and I can't help but feel relieved. Plus, my own line of work pays just fine, probably more than what they get. The Grimorie guards can guard to their hearts contents for the Fates, because Boss doesn't want to get on their bad side. But when we get into the illegal business of dealing death, well, that's where I come in.

An assassin for hire. And one of the best and most elite, considering I'm only fifteen.

I take another swift turn, and hurry down another hallway. I really should be going faster. It's not really advisable to get on Boss's bad side, and that means getting to places fast. He could kill me, and I mean that quite literally. Of course, I'm probably safe since I'm so good at my line of work though.

One more turn - this time to the right - and then a few more steps get me to a door. I walk up to the voice box, and roll my eyes at the security. Like that would help if an assassin like me wanted to kill Boss. It's not likely that anyone would though. Most assassins - at least, most of the Fae ones like myself - work for him, so unless we've got a traitor among us, he should be perfectly fine in his secure office, and he could probably hold is own against anyone who got in. Still, better to be safe than sorry.

"Mina." I speak into the box as I lean down, before standing upright again.

A small tray-like object sticks out of the door, and the automated voice goes off. "Fingerprint, please."

Sighing at the precautions, I put my finger down on the scanner. There's a tickling feeling that has long since stopped making me chuckle as a green light scans it, and then the tray goes back inside the door.

A small camera drops down, and the automated voice speaks up again. "Retina scan, please."

"This is ridiculous." I scoff my usual complaint as I glance at the camera, and another green light scans me eyes. I have long since stopped flinching at this bright light, just like the tickling feeling has stopped tickling.

"Test complete. Mina, please step inside." The door swings open as the camera goes back into the ceiling.

Still muttering about how stupid that whole setup is and how much time it wastes - I just take satisfaction in complaining about it to Boss at this point, as I know there's a good reason for it to be in place - I walk in. The door swings shut behind me, and it closes with a loud slam.

"Ah, Wilhelmina. So good of you to come." The ever-confident and deceptively friendly-sounding voice comes from inside the room.

"Mina." I correct as I open the next door and enter his office.

The man reclining behind the desk is blonde haired with green eyes. I don't know how old he is, but he's clean shaven. He always gives off the aurora of being young too, so I'm not sure how old he is. He never says his name to anyone either. He's just referred to as Boss. I respect him though, and quite a bit.

"Right, right. You prefer to be called Mina. Sit." He gestures to the only unoccupied chair in front of his desk.

There are only two total, and the other is occupied by a black-haired boy. He's definitely older than me, although by how much I'm not sure. I haven't seen him around before. Then again, I haven't seen _majority_ of the other assassins here before. A few glimpses and such, but never in Boss's office or out in public, unless you count my few friends I've met up with that I met through work. It's a bit intriguing as to why. Generally, only one of us would be in his office at a time, so there's obviously got to be some reason behind this. The boy stares back, his blue eyes scanning me over much like the retina scan. And much like the retina scan, I don't flinch.

"Who's this?" I ask, jerking my head at him while focusing on Boss.

"Getting right to the point, are we?" The boy gives a chuckle, and I glance away from Boss for a moment to give him a well-earned glare.

"Mina, this is Teague. Teague, this is Mina." Geez, we don't really need formal introductions, do we?

"Care to spill more?" I raise an eyebrow at Boss. He'll know what I mean by this comment. I want an analysis of Teague. Not his name. Well, not _just_ his name.

Teague looks confused at my comment, but Boss just chuckles at my stubbornness, knowing exactly what I mean and having known for awhile. I've refused to let go of my need to know more about this boy, but I know that Boss wants to move on in the conversation. If he wants to move on, he has to give me the info first. At least I'm on his good side. If I weren't on his good side, I wouldn't even attempt this sort of stunt.

"Teague is a Royal-" That's just the first part of his first statement, and I've already decided it's time to interrupt.

"He's a _Royal_?! Boss, what are you playing at?" I stare at him like he's gone mad, because that's exactly what I think has happened.

"Settle down, settle down!" Now I'm sure he would've blown a gasket by now if it was anyone else. Thank goodness I strive to stay on his good side. Instead of being mad, he just seems amused. Then again, he always seems amused when I'm frustrated, irritated, or angry. "Not a Fate child royal. You know that the King and Queen have no living relations, and they plan on keeping it like that." That was true. The Fates didn't want to be overthrown by any descendants that they might possibly have. Not that they have had any to my knowledge. "I meant the Royal as in what we know it as. A shapeshifter with extremely powerful magic."

I relax the tiniest little bit. "Oh. Continue." I don't bother to see what Teague thinks of this entire situation. He seems like the type of person to either be confused or amused. Neither of which I want to see, because the mere sight of him is ticking me off right now.

"As I was going to say, he's newer than you, having done around one hundred missions or so." So he's only been here for around a year? That works with me, because it means that I'm superior. "Teague, Mina has done over three hundred missions. I believe she's around three hundred fifty five or something close to that." Hey, almost four years in this line of work does pay off. I get money, and I'm also pretty safe from rogue Fae since I work with Grimm. "She's a Siren, with the Lure and Call."

I take this opportunity to glance over at him, and he smirks slightly. Who it's directed at, I can't tell. "Impressive, I'll give her that." How gracious of him. Oh, what I would give to punch that smirk clear off of his face. I'm his superior, even if I'm younger than him. In this field, age doesn't matter. Experience does. You can even tell from my stance compared to his that we're different. While he looks very relaxed, I'm on high alert, and I'm sure he know it."

"So, now that those introductions are out of the way, it's time to get down to the real point." Good, because I would really like to get going. I don't think I can bare to be in the same room as Teague for much longer, and we haven't even really had a real conversation yet. "I had you both come down here for one very simple reason."

"Enough with the theatrics. Please, just get to the point." I roll my eyes.

"Alright. I want you two to work together."

I nearly choke on air. " _What_?!"

Even the always relaxed, 'nothing seems to faze me' Teagye looks shocked as Boss directs his comment to me. "You heard me, Wilhelmina."

I swear he's using my real name just to get on my nerves. "It's Mina." I nearly spit the words. "And anyways, I work better alone! He'll just slow me down, based on how incompetent he looks. I'm not letting him ruin my record! You can't possibly be serious, Boss!"

"Mina, calm down." Thank goodness he bothered to use my preferred nickname. "You two are going to work together. No argument. If you guys do badly, I won't let it affect your perfect record. We can blame it all on Teague or something." From the corner of my eye I can see Teague scowl, and I resist the urge to smirk and snicker like a school girl would with a rival. I'm an assassin, not a petty little girl. I need to take control of my emotions and only show what needs to be shown. "You won't have to work together anymore if you fail."

I can't tell if he means that we'll stop working together after this mission either way, or only if we fail. Ignoring that small tidbit of information for now, I huff from exasperation, but even I know there's no use arguing with Boss at this point. "Fine."

"And do you have any argument, Teague?" Boss and I both swivel our gazes over to the boy, but he just shakes his head at Boss' question.

"Nope." He pops the p in an extremely annoying and irritating fashion. It takes all of my energy not to strangle him right then and there. He actually has the nerve to seem like he's enjoying this. Well, let's see if he enjoys it when he has a black eye. I let myself calm down a little bit by picturing that image in my mind.

"Good." Boss tosses a file onto the desk in front of him, and I've grabbed it within a second. No way I'm letting a complete stranger that I already hate touch it. "I'm assuming you guy will discuss the best tactic and act upon it.

"You have nothing you specifically want us to do?" I'm surprised. Boss seems to _always_ have a plan.

"Well..." He glances up at the ceiling.

"So you _do_ have an idea." Look at that. Captain Obvious has spoken. At least Teague is a little bit perceptive.

"The man in question is hosting a large dance at a country club in his town in about two weeks. It's a big event that quite a few people attend. I can easily secure two spots reserved for you under false names online, as you have to sign up. It'll actually be a masquerade ball. Extremely cliche, but it'll serve out purposes well. You'll have two weeks to arrive at the city, develop your kill plan, and then enact it at the dance. Understand?"

Teague gives a low whistle. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a plan."

He's got a lot to learn about Boss, if he hasn't realized that he always has a plan by now.

"I've gotten both of you a room at a hotel in that ton. You'll use a car to get there, so use Teague's. He'll have to drive though, since you - yes you, Mina - can't drive yet." I open my mouth to protest, but he won't accept it. He barrels onwards in his reasoning, as if I've already made my case. "I don't care that you've been driving a motorcycle and faked your license. You've never driven a car, and I don't want to find out you both wound up dead because of your stupidity." Ouch. That hurt. "Anyways, do you both understand?" We both nod, although I'm still wearing my glare that has half-shifted into a grimace on my face.

"Understood, Boss." I sigh, not liking this plan - mainly because it involves me working with Teague, who I know nothing about - at all.

"Yes, understood." Teague also gives his agreement.

"Good. Now go!" He barks the last two words at us. Teague flinches, but I'm as stiff as a board to Boss' yelling.

I stand up first, still clutching the file. "Hurry up, Teague."

And I hurry out the door towards the garage, not bothering to wait for Teague and check that he follows.

* * *

 **Haha, Mina seems like she's going to have a ball with this partnership. Haha. Get it? She's going to have a _ball_? cx Do you guys like it so far? I'm honestly super excited to write this specific plot, - I have the end already planned out - and quite a few others. Then again, I'm always excited about my fanfiction ideas, at least at the start. xD**

 **Now, are you guys able to get this three reviews? Then I will update this! Of course, my update would have to come _after_ I update I Won't Say I'm In Love and Counting Stars, because people are waiting on those.**

 **~ Dagger**


	2. Chapter 2 - Talk To Me

**Chapter Two - Talk To Me**

 **Alright, here's the next update! c: I can't believe how much positive feedback this got on just the first chapter. 8 reviews on the first chapter is a new record for me, I think. So thank you for that guys! That really helps me get motivated! Also, feel free to skip this little author's note and go to the story. I know I tend to ramble here, but if you'd rather go directly to the story, I won't be offended. Actually, I probably wouldn't even know unless you mentioned it. cx  
**

 **Evx : Hide and Seek doesn't have three reviews yet (only two, as one was a continuation of another) so it all depends on when it gets another review. I guess we'll just have to see. And I'm glad you already like it! I was surprised no one had considered this plot already.**

 **andgirl12 : Haha, yes. The tables have turned. cx And you are extremely good at guessing! Yes, the country club and ball are all referencing that part of Reign, and Brody will be in this story. :3**

 **Silver Blade : I'm glad that you've been waiting for a story like this! I love writing about Mina in a manner like this. I'm also really glad you like my writing style and how I portray the characters! It means a lot for you to say that, as I know I'm always worried that my writing won't be good. c:**

 **heywassuphelloo : I'm glad that it already seems good!**

 **xXMADD1EXx : I'm super glad that you like it so far! Hopefully it won't disappoint. :)**

 **Guest 1 : Haha, yes, I always like AU stories. Of course, that's kind of my special little category right now. I have quite a few AU stories planned, and I have my two other ones on here too. AU stories just have so many possibilities! xD And Mina is supposed to be a bit annoying with her superior attitude. Don't worry, that'll tone down a little bit once she adjusts to Teague. ;)**

 **booknerd00 : I'm glad your mind was changed! ^^**

 **so in her own head : Hurrah, I have received my chocolate! I'm glad this chapter deserved it! Also, I'll try to see about getting that story I was PMing with you about up soon, although when I'm not exactly sure. Maybe I'll ask popular opinion when I finish a story so people can vote. ;)  
**

 **Just a small note for those of you that read Wonderfully Wonderful Villains, there were no mistakes in it regarding names or statements. Everything was completely intentional if it didn't line up exactly with another story of mine, as there were a few teasers in it...I don't know if anyone did read it, but since I can't add a chapter that's just an author's note to that, I would like to mention that somewhere. :3**

* * *

 _Teague's POV_

* * *

I get in the driver's seat of my car, and Mina gets in on the passenger's side. As she buckles and I get the car running, I glance over at her.

"So, how did you wind up in the whole assassin business?" I ask it as we begin to pull out of the garage, but apparently the question catches her off guard, because she nearly drops the open file on the ground. It's a quick recovery on her part, because the papers nearly spilled everywhere.

"What?" The shock at the mere asking of the question is still all over her face, and I've finally caught her attention enough to get her to look at me.

"You heard me." I think we both know that, considering her reaction.

"It's none of your business." For a moment I take her actions to just be her feeling superior, but then I sense an underlying but of vulnerability and wariness. This girl really is something. She acts all tough, but I think she has some motivation that may make her seem weak, or just vulnerable.

"I did it because I'm looking for revenge." I state it simply.

This seems to pike her curiosity a little bit. Good, as I want to intrigue her. I'd like to learn more about this girl, perhaps even become friends, if she'd just open up and let me.

"Revenge?"

"Maybe not revenge. I guess I view the world as something that deserves this sort of thing."

"Oh." She goes back to her files, and I resist the urge to sigh out loud. I lost her attention with that bit.

"So, uh, tell me about yourself."

"Why should I?" She raises an eyebrow and glances in my direction, but her eyes almost instantly go back to scanning the papers. She really does analyze everything, but I guess that's what makes her so good.

"Because if we're going to be working together, we need to know a bit about each other and trust each other." Hopefully my reasoning gets a positive reaction from _some_ part of her mind. Whatever part is the most logical would be my hope.

"But that's just the thing. I _don't_ trust you." Ouch. She doesn't trust me and this is our first conversation.

"Aw, come on. You haven't even given me a chance yet!" I give her a grin, before averting my gaze to the road. "Give me one chance, and if I make a mistake, feel free to take back all the trust you place in me."

She huffs. "I'm an assassin. Do you really expect me to trust somebody, _especially_ another assassin?"

"Uh, in my case? Yes, since I work for the same agency and I'm assigned to be your partner. If we don't trust each other, then there's no way we'll be able to kill the target."

She gives an overly exaggerated sigh. "We'll just have to see if you're up to par or not."

You know, I have no idea what that means. But I'll roll with it. It's a step. "So, tell me about yourself."

"My name's Mina. I'm a girl. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I'm a Siren. I-"

"I'm pretty sure you know that that's not what I meant."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine. Um...Ask something then."

"What's your favorite color?"

She looks over at me again, and when I glance at her, she seems to be torn between being amused, confused, or irritated. "Seriously?"

"Yes? That's why I asked, is it not?"

"Um...I guess white, because it means having a blank slate. Being all pure and perfect and what not." Hm. Interesting reasoning there, considering her profession. She shifts a bit in her seat, as if uncomfortable with giving away that information. She doesn't seem to have too many friends, but again, her profession is probably why. I kind of pity her, but I don't want her to know that. "What about your's?"

"Mine? I'd say dark blue." Now I feel a bit weird, since I myself don't have any reasoning for it. But she doesn't seem to care. After a rather long pause, I decide to try and get the conversation rolling a bit. "Do you have any family?"

She looks irritated that I've decided to start talking again. Or, perhaps she's not exactly comfortable discussing the topic I've brought up. Was it a bad move on my part? I don't know, but I'm honestly curious, so I'll gauge if I made a mistake on her reaction.

"I have a younger brother. And a mother."

"What about your father?" I'm a little confused.

"Dead." The moment the words leave her lips and she looks out the window I realize I went a little too far. Stupid! That's what I am! I should've realized that. That wasn't considerate on my part at all, which I guess is to be expected from assassins since we're supposed to be emotionless. I suppose she's pretty good at keeping her composure though. As if already sensing the question burning in my mind, she adds. "He died when my brother was born."

"You must feel quite attached to him."

She shrugs. "I guess."

Okay, I'm obviously treading in dangerous waters here. This is a topic to come back to when she trusts me more. So, I decide to direct the conversation to my own family. "I have a younger brother too. He's two years younger than me."

"And your parents?"

"Both alive, or so that's what I've been told by my brother. I haven't really had a chance to visit with any of them, as I try to keep myself occupied with my work."

"There it is."

"What?" Confusion fills me at that one statement.

"The hotel, idiot." She scowls at me, and I sigh once again inside. Oh well. I think it's safe to say I made some progress with her, no matter how small. "All the bags and anything else we'll need are already here."

"Great. Let's go then." I get out and go around to open the door for her, but she's already heading towards the hotel, out of the car before I even arrive on the other side. I have to jog a little to catch up with her.

Once we're inside and we make it to the front desk, we give our names, and the man at the front nods. You know, I think I saw him once before. Perhaps he's someone working for Boss? I can't be sure though. "Right. Room 101." He hands Mina the room key.

I can see her lip twitch into a frown, but I could've imagined it because the next moment it's gone. "Alright. Thank you."

This time, I manage to keep pace with her as we go up the stairs. When we step inside the room, I get the instant impression that it's fancy but not too fancy. Of course, Mina's mind seems to jump to another conclusion first.

"There's only one bedroom." She states the fact very simply. "You get to sleep on the couch."

And then she walks into the bedroom, leaving me to just shake my head. Will I ever understand this girl? I don't know.

* * *

 **Haha, they seem to be having a great start to this relationship, don't they? Mina had better start at least _trying_ to be friendly and not hostile, or this whole operation will go down in flames.**

 **Can we get three more reviews, so that I can update?**

 **~ Dagger**


	3. Chapter 3 - Plotting To Kill

**Chapter Three - Plotting To Kill**

 **Alright guys. How about we actually get to see some assassin discussion action so that we see Teague and Mina plotting? I mean, seriously, who doesn't?**

 **Evx : Haha, ya. But Mina's just not a very trusting person. Being an assassin does that to you. xD**

 **andgirl12 : Hehe, yup. Mina is not happy about that. Then again, if she forces Teague to sleep on the couch, she might feel just fine about the matter. As for her being ooc, you have to think about the fact that her story is different. She didn't move around constantly as there was no curse to avoid. That's actually why she has to travel with Teague to even get to the town with the country club. Not only that, but if you remember from the first chapter, she's been in this business for almost four years. That would definitely affect her. You also should remember that she knew she was Fae her entire life. c: Her personality would definitely be different from in the books.**

 **so in her own head : Mina is going to get my chocolate?! ;-; I'll just go cry in the corner then... cx**

 **booknerd00 : Yes, that's probably a good rule of thumb that Teague should learn. Sadly? He never learned that, so he asked.**

 **heywassuphelloo : XP But that would be too easy!**

 **Silver Blade : I'm glad it's interesting! As for Teague's brother, we'll just have to find out if they discuss him later... :3**

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

I actually sleep really well, and when I get up the next day, I'm in a bit of a better mood than yesterday. Of course, that dampers the moment I remember who's sleeping on the couch in the main room. Drat. Teague's in there. I don't really feel like going out there - whether he's awake or asleep - so I take awhile to get dressed. Then, I wait by the door for movement in the other room.

I hear a noise of someone moving on the couch, so I step out of the room. There he is, sitting on the couch. How on earth does he still look up the standards of 'hot' - if I'm going off society's current standards - when he literally _just_ woke up?

Oh gosh, I don't even know where that thought came from. Resisting the urge to slap something, I walk over to the kitchen table to where the file sits when he speaks up. "Good morning."

"Morning." Alright, so I'm slightly grumpy, but that's just because I don't want to be here. Or, more specifically, I don't want to be here with _Teague_.

"Ready for breakfast?" He's honestly reminding me of an irritating fly right now. Does he ever shut up?

"Well, you obviously aren't."

He glances down at himself. "Uh, right. I'll change in to my clothes in the bathroom, and then we can go get food."

"No, you'll change into your clothes, and then we'll look over the file a little bit."

"What?" He groans. "I'm hungry!"

I've been paired up with a five year old. That much is clear. "It's only seven o'clock in the morning, idiot, and breakfast starts at eight. There's an hour anyways to wait, and even if we do go over, breakfast probably doesn't end till ten thirty."

"Fine." I guess he decides to just concede as I've mad my mind up on this plan.

Once he's back and changed into normal attire, I open the file and spread the papers out. "The guy's name is Andrew Carmichael."

"Hm, never heard of him." Teague remarks, and I shrug.

"Whatever. Apparently he's very rich in the town he's in. He has a wife and a son, but that's all family wise. It say he looks around forty in age, but since he's Fae, we can pretty much assume closer on the side of four hundred."

"So he's relatively young?"

"Exactly." I nod. "He's in that stage where he stays relatively young in looks."

"Alright. Any reason in particular listed for why they want him dead?"

"Apparently there were some issues money wise. The usual stuff. Cheating people out of money, a bit of embezzlement at one time, and other things. It's a wonder he has been caught, but I guess it helps that he's a Fae."

"True..." Teague frowns. "Does it mention what type of Fae he is anywhere?"

"Of course it does." I shove a paper in his direction and point to a particular portion highlighting his Fae abilities. "He's got some charming abilities. The type where if he asks for something you just can't help wanting to give in. It mentions briefly that the trait might've been passed on to his son, since it's hereditary."

"Wonderful." Teague, who seemed so relaxed the other day, actually seems a little bit worried about this. And the sarcasm? Well, that's actually kind of intriguing. Perhaps he's just tired of trying to make nice with me, but if he's given up, that's a score for me. "So, we basically are to avoid the son art all costs in case, as well as avoid the father till we're getting ready for the kill."

"Exactly. We should probably do a bit of research on the family. You know, the usual protocol stuff."

"You do research?"

"Uh, when there's a two week wait till it's time to strike, yes."

"Technically, one week and six days." That correction irritates me quite a bit.

"I don't care about that particular technicality. We should also go to the shops at some point and look for what we'll be wearing to the ball, because I highly doubt that Boss got us anything. Along with that, we should check for the country club and map it out a bit. You know, take a tour and discover what we can use to our advantage."

He gives a low whistle. "You certainly don't leave a lot of time open in the schedule."

"The time that would be open is spent researching in whatever way we find." I send a silent message, telling him not to try and challenge me.

I would attempt using the Lure on him, but I already know it doesn't work on Royal. Hurray for their special protection with their powerful magic. Not.

"Okay, okay, calm down." He holds up his hands in surrender. "I'm cool with that, okay?"

"Good." I go back to looking at the papers, and Teague pulls a few over to his side of the table to look at.

After who knows how long, he speaks up again. I resist the urge to sigh. "Can we go to breakfast now?"

"Hm?" I look up when I feel his gaze almost boring holes into me.

"Can we go to breakfast now? You know, first meal of the day? One that's very vital, according to human scientists? It's eight thirty."

I sigh out loud now. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

 **Haha, poor Mina is exasperated by this. Then again, at least Teague is making sure that she eats. cx Otherwise she might not, because Mina seems extremely dedicated. While we're discussing this assassination, what's your opinion on this whole Carmichael business, and the fact that Brody is going to possibly show up? I'd love to hear about it in any reviews you do!**

 **Speaking of which, let's end on the same note I always do! Like always, can we get three more reviews? Then I will update. c;**

 **~ Dagger**


	4. Chapter 4 - A Mutual Feeling About Dress

**Chapter Four - A Mutual Feeling About Dress Shopping**

 **Haha, who's ready to see some shopping with Teague and Mina? :3 I know I am!**

 **Also, updates are going to be slower now that school is starting up again (it starts tomorrow), but I'll try to update as much as I can when there are three reviews!**

 **booknerd00 : Haha, I am too. c: It shall be very fun...**

 **Evx : Hehe, there's no doubt that you do hope that. I would expect no less. xD As for Mina's dedication, I think she'd definitely be dedicated in a relationship. :3**

 **andgirl12 : Yes, childish Teague for the win! Of course, that probably is getting on Mina's nerves. cx But that's okay, right? And I'm glad you like that plot twist! I thought it would be fun to switch up some of the characters since Mina has never met them, so Brody will be a bit different than he is in the actual books.**

 **heywassuphelloo : Thank you! I think it'll be very fun. And indeed, Brody is going to show up, although how he and Mina are around each other will be especially fun. And I'm glad you like it, even with stubborn Mina.**

 **Guest 1 : Haha, yessss. Teague is amazingly hot. Why can't he exist for real? ;-; And she will meet Brody, but what happens between them will have to be revealed as we read. c: And hopefully she'll warm up to Teague! I make no guarantees though, hehe.**

 **Also, sorry that I'm not super descriptive about the dresses. I don't know a ton about them, so you basically get free reign on what you envision them looking like, 'kay? cx**

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

"I hate dress shopping." I mutter, walking into the shop.

Teague follows close behind. "Yes. What is it with girls having to try on fifty dresses only to go with the first one they tried on anyways?"

I've decided to humor Teague for now and at least _try_ to put up with him, since I probably wasn't very pleasant yesterday, as I get very serious when it comes to researching the target. So, I shrug and give a response. "Beats me."

"I _think_ the dresses are in back. I could be wrong though." He makes this comment as I almost make a left instead of going straight, and that's when I see the sign in the back that clearly says dresses. Going a little pink, I glare at him, but he doesn't have the sense to take the smirk off his face. Seriously? He's going to tease me for making one, little mistake?

"Oh, shut up." I mutter again, shaking my head as I begin to walk towards them.

"What, would you rather I have let you walk around like an idiot looking for them?" He follows after me, easily keeping up.

"I said shut up, Teague."

"So you _would've_ rather walked around like an idiot when there was a sign. Alright, I'll make a note to myself. Next time there's a situation like this, I'll-"

"Teague! Shut up right now!" It isn't loud, but there's quite a bit of anger in those words. And a veiled threat. Now Teague has the sense to shut up, which is good.

We reach the dresses, and I begin to look for something simple, yet maneuverable. After all, if I'm going to this dance to kill somebody, I need to be able to move around and - well - kill somebody. Not only that, but it also is going to have to match the tuxedo Teague got, since he decided to pick a dark blue. Seriously, dark blue? Then again, I guess that's easier to match than dark blue.

Teague holds up a shorter, black dress. "This one?"

"Teague, we're not attending a funeral." I barely even bother glancing at it once I see the color. "It's not as simple as just picking a dress, you know."

"Fine. How about this one?" He holds up another short, mint-colored one.

"It also has to match the tuxedo you picked, idiot."

"Hey, I'm sorry that I've never went dress shopping before!" Such a feeble excuse.

"Teague, _I_ have never been dress shopping before, and even I know what and what not is alright."

"Fine, fine." I continue looking, and so does he.

"This one?" He holds up a longer, light blue dress with sequins all over it.

"Too flashy. It can't draw too much attention, because we aren't here to draw attention to ourselves."

He sighs. "Um...This one?" He holds up a dress that looks a bit darker, but still just as long.

I shake my head. "Not maneuverable."

I push a gray dress out of the way, but completely miss Teague's latest remark as I look at the newest dress in front of me. It's skirt comes to around my knees, and is dark blue. It has no sequins or anything like that, and it's strapless. My mind goes over it with a mental checklist. Does it look like something I'd wear to a funeral? No, as the blue isn't dark enough to look black. Does it match the tuxedo? Yes, since the blues are very close shade wise. Is it simple, but still pretty enough for a masquerade ball? Definitely. And lastly, is it maneuverable? Well, we'll have to find out.

"Found one. You sit outside of the changing rooms while I see if it fits." I head off, and Teague scrambles to follow.

I slip into one of the rooms - you know, they're kind of set up like bathroom stalls when I think about it - and change into the dress. It fits well, and it's a very modest dress. I nod my head in approval. But I need to do the final test. Maneuvering. If it fails that, there's no go. I test out kicking - which works well, but I can't do that too easily if I don't want to show off my underwear. As for punching and slapping, well, that obviously works. Climbing should be no problem, if I have the right shoes. The dress may not seem like something you'd wear at a masquerade ball, but these aren't the same as the ones from the past. When I looked up some images and info, all the dresses were a lot more modern and simple, although perhaps not as simple as this. This will work.

I step out of the room, and look over at Teague. "How do I look?"

His jaw drops for a moment, but I may have only imagined it because he recovers quickly. "Hm, I suppose it will do."

I roll my eyes, but I know he's only teasing. He liked it. I don't know how I know, but I know. "Whatever. We'll go with this one. I don't feel like looking for another one." Plus, I liked this one. But I was _never_ going to admit to that.

 _Just like you're never going to admit to liking Teague?_

Wait, what? Where on the _plane_ did that thought come from? It certainly wasn't from me. I scowl as I slip back into the changing room, changing back into my outfit and coming out with the dress.

"Alright, let's go." I head off once again without warning Teague, and he - once again - scrambles to keep up.

"Geez, do you ever give any warning?" He complains.

"I _did_ , you idiot. Pay more attention next time."

"You know, are you at all worried about the price of this thing?"

"If Boss wants us to attend a stupid ball in order to find a stupid person, then no. He'll be paying for it anyways." Teague raises an eyebrow at the last comment, but I don't respond because we've reached the checkout.

"Pft, you think a ragamuffin like you could afford that?" The girl in line ahead of us glances back at me, and scowls. She has blonde hair and seems like one of those typical bratty children. She's probably a cheerleader, actually. And the _makeup_. What did she do, dip her face in a bucket of it?

"Shut up. Yes, I can afford it." I growl.

"And no, she's not a ragamuffin. She looks a lot better than you do." Teague stands beside me, and I hold myself back from looking at him to raise an eyebrow. I can't tell if he's trying to be nice, or if he actually means that I look good. Actually, I don't even know what to think about this matter.

"Oh, look at that. Does your boyfriend fight your battles for you?" She grabs her bags and heads for the door.

"He's not my boyfri-" It's too late. She's gone. Are you kidding me? Is everyone instantly assuming that we're a couple? Kill me now.

"The dress, please." The girl at the checkout gives me a smile as she extends her hand. She's blonde too, but she isn't all prepped and prettied with make up and all that other stuff. And she looks a lot better than the other girl did.

"Right." I hand it over, still grumbling to myself.

What was the point of being paired up with this idiot, again? Because I see none.

* * *

 **Haha, who doesn't love dress shopping? At least Teague made it a bit more bearable. xD And what about that mean girl at the check out? Any idea who that could've been?**

 **Anyways, can we get three reviews? Then I can update!**

 **~ Dagger**


	5. Chapter 5 - Normal?

**Chapter Five - Normal?**

 **Mehhhh, I hate school. xD See? That's a reoccurring theme in all of my updates recently! cx Anyways, sorry there weren't very many updates this week. There probably won't be too many on week days, but I'll try to make up for that on weekends!**

 **Anywho, let's get back to Mina and Teague. Dress shopping took place on Day Two out of fourteen days. This takes place at around Day Eight, so kind of in the middle. ^^ If that makes any sense! xp**

 **Evx : Haha, I'm not either. But I definitely liked that scene too! And I'm glad it was funny. xD And yes, Mina does really want to kill her now. But I like Teague defending her. Sweet side of Teague is there. 3**

 **booknerd00 : Haha, yup! That's Savannah. And I like that explanation for it very much. cx It makes quite a bit of sense.**

 **Guest 1 : Yup! xD That would be Savannah. And haha, Mina's little wall is cracking, even if it is slowly. cx And yup, the cashier was Nan!**

 **heywassuphelloo : Yes to both of your character guessing! The rude blonde was Savannah, and the nice blonde was Nan. ^-^ And haha, I totally agree on the 'sort of' comment. She did, and yet she didn't. When he manages to coax the comment out of her will be when I say she finally admits it. And I'm excited to write the ball, so hopefully it won't disappoint!**

* * *

 _Teague's POV_

* * *

I glance up from the book of old newspaper articles that I checked out, watching Mina as her eyes search the pages of her own book for anything about this Carmichael that we may need for later. I've found a few new tidbits, but I feel like we're really looking over the same facts over and over again. We got the clothes we needed, we looked over the place this ball will be held twice to develop a plan, and we've looked over tons of facts. I'm a little bored of it all, but Mina doesn't ever seem to give up. She's very diligent, and I'll admit that I admire her for that. She puts a lot into her job. As I watch her, it seems as if she can sense my gaze, because she looks up from the book to look at me.

"Hm?" She raises an eyebrow at me, and I can already tell she wants to know why I'm looking at her.

"I think we should take a break." I say the words carefully, because I know I could very likely trigger a lecture if I don't play the cards properly.

"What?" She looks appalled at the thought.

I reach across the table, slide a paper onto her page, and shut the book. Before she can react, I pull the book across to me, mark my own book's page, and close that as well.

"Teague!" She looks extremely annoyed, and her face goes a little red from the anger. It's a bit cute, actually.

"Hey, I just think we'll do better without totally wasting our brain power. You know, we can do something normal." She frowns at my comments, so I decide to plow on ahead. "We'll just pretend that - for one day - we're normal people, and not assassins."

"Normal...?" Right. This probably seems normal to her.

"Yup. We're going to be normal people for once."

"But-"

"No excuses. We're going, whether you want to or not." My mind is made up. I place the books on top of a cabinet - out of Mina's reach, much to her irritation - and then grab her hand. "Ready?"

"No." Way to be positive.

"Well, that's your problem." Smiling a little at her scowl, I lead as well as drag her off to the lobby. Once we're down there, she shifts gears so it doesn't _look_ like I'm dragging her along, but she still is doing this very begrudgingly. "Lighten up a little. We're going to be normal today, remember?"

She lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine."

After a bit of walking, I find a good looking cafe and I manage to convince Mina that it's a good idea to sit down. It did require a little bit of effort, but not too much. I sit across from her, and after a moment of silence, decide that now's the ideal time to learn more about her. After all, normal people talk to each other and ask questions. Maybe I can learn something about her.

"So..." What should I ask about? Then I get an idea. "What do you do in your free time?"

"My free time?"

"Ya. You know, what you do when you aren't busy."

"I don't have a ton of free time..." She mutters the words, as if she's slightly ashamed.

"Really?" That takes me by surprise, although it probably shouldn't.

"I spend most of my time researching." There's obviously something else, but she doesn't seem keen on telling me. So, I leave that mysterious topic untouched for now.

"Well, do you have any particular hobbies?"

"I-" She stops in her tracks, her eyes narrowing slightly.

She's not looking at me though - thankfully - but she has a very tight grip on the table. In fact, her knuckles are growing white from it. I glance over my shoulder to see one of the girls working here is blonde and seems to have a bucket of makeup dumped on her face. Now where have I seen that before? Oh, yes. At that dress shop. She's the one that insulted Mina. I find myself growing a bit irritated as well.

As she walks past, she mutters something to Mina, which seems to seriously anger her. "Why, I ought to-"

"Mina!" I hiss, instinctively grabbing her hand. That - of course - jerks away almost as soon as I touched it. "Calm it down."

"I should kill her." She snarls the words quietly. "I should kill her right here and right now."

"What did she say?" What on earth could upset her this much?

"Nothing that would matter to you."

"Just tell me."

"Not here. Not now."

What on earth is eating away at her?

* * *

 **Hm, what's this touchy subject that seems to have come up multiple times? Savannah - yes, it was her - apparently knows it, and Mina's very upset. Any guesses on what this might be?**

 **Also, can we get three reviews? :3 Then I'll update!**

 **~ Dagger**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Deepest Secrets Are The

**Chapter Six - The Deepest Secrets Are The Killers  
**

 **Alright, we're back with another update! Sorry about having such a lack of them, but school has been a very big pain for me. I don't even have that much homework from it, it just is very draining. cx But, I'm back with an update, so have no fear!**

 **I'd like to mention for those of you waiting for a certain story that I update my fanfictions in the order of which has more reviews and - if they have an equal amount of reviews - which I'm more interested in updating. This is one reason Hide and Seek has been on hold. I Won't Say I'm In Love, this story, and Counting Stars have continually had more (considering two reviews were made by the same person, making them one), so if you want a certain story updated and haven't reviewed it, this is one reason you should. I try to base my updates on what most people are excited to see. c:**

 **Evx : Haha. No, no, no killing her. Yet. And I'm glad you appreciated the size! I had been hoping for a chance to work it in somehow, and I got to. I also like that you liked the whole "normal" thing. Poor Mina doesn't know how to cope. X3**

 **heywassuphelloo : Hehe, it's all good. Logging in is too much of a bother anyways. XD As for Mina and Savannah, well, we'll have to hope we see a glimpse of that soon...**

 **Reanna-Kris-Katelyn : I'm glad he makes you smile! Hopefully he'll be making Mina smile soon too...**

 **Also, it's been two days since the incident at the cafe...**

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

The streets are particularly bare of people today, which I'm relieved about. It is a bit startling, but not so much that it's disorienting. It was definitely easier to relax slightly when I wasn't expecting to be accused of being Teague's girlfriend, as well as not constantly thinking that some blonde girl was possibly Savannah. The dirty, rotten traitor. I'd never forgive her for what she did. Never ever.

Of course, every thought fled from my mind as I was suddenly jerked into the alley. Teague held on to my wrist very tightly, and it almost terrified me. Almost. "Mina, you need to tell me what happened at the cafe."

I shake my head stubbornly. "No."

His grip tightens slightly, and I grit my teeth. I refuse to let him see that I'm in pain. "I know something is up. You have to tell me what's going on!" His voice raises a bit from frustration.

"I don't!"

"Mina, just trust me!" Again, his grip tightens.

"No!"

His grip tightens even more, and this time I instinctively let out a pained noise. That one, single, tiny cry of pain is enough to alert Teague of what he is doing, and wake him up a bit from his daze. He quickly releases his hand, pulling it away and looking at my wrist and his hand in shock. "Mina, I'm sor-"

"I don't want to hear it." I say it with an icy calmness, stepping away.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Teague, whatever trust I could've had for you is gone. Kaput. Poof. There's nothing left of it."

"Please, give me one more chanc-"

"No. Let's just get this over with, so I never have to see your face again after this." I walk out of the alley, not even bothering to see if Teague follows.

He does. I can hear him, but I ignore him. He, thankfully, doesn't try to make anymore conversation. Not that I would respond if he did. He's a monster. If anything, he's true assassin material. I may purposefully isolate myself from most, but that's so that I don't do what he just did. He's a menace for it. Once this is over, I'm keeping as far away from him as possible.

The words that Savannah muttered to me two days ago echo in my head once more, as if they haven't already. _Your boyfriend wasn't here to save your brother, now was he?_

I don't even realize I've stopped walking, my hands balled into fists as I glare at the ground. Rage consumes me. How dare she? How _dare_ she bring that back? How dare she make comments like that so simply, as if we were discussing the weather? As if we were _friends_? We are not friends. We may have been once, but we aren't anymore. I don't know what she was doing here - or why she changed her look so much, otherwise I would've recognized her in the dress store - but I want to keep as far away from her as I can.

"Mina, are you alright?" When Teague touches my shoulder, bringing me back to the present, I lose it.

"Don't touch me!" I scream the words at him, wrenching my shoulder free of his grasp, which wasn't especially tight to begin with. "Just get away from me! I don't want you to talk to me, or touch me, or go anywhere near me. So get!"

And on that note, I rush off. He doesn't say anything, just standing there. But I don't care. I'm losing my cool, but I don't care. And I'm going to keep far away from him - as far as possible - from now on. The only time I'm going to speak to him is when absolutely necessary. He's not ruining this assassination too. I will go inside with him, since I have to, and then I will split as fast as possible. Who cares about a stupid plan? If I can't trust him, it won't work anyways. It's better being alone.

Reaching the hotel room, I shut the door behind me, and slide down to the ground, sitting there. It's there that I let the tears fall. Just for once, I let myself cry. These tears probably should've been cried years ago. No, not just years ago. They should've been cried every day. From my pocket, I pull a smallish, gold pocket watch. The tears still pouring out of my eyes, I hug it to my chest and curl up in the fetal position. A particular memory comes to mind, one that makes the tears fall even harder.

 _He smiled wide, holding the pocket watch as if it was the best thing in the world. It was though, to him. He almost seemed to have conversations with it at times, signing to it while it just tick tocked back to him. He wouldn't remember that it was a gift from Father to him. But I did. And I knew that it was his most prized possession._

But that memory - a happy one - soon shifted to a worse one, that tortured my conscience every living moment, even when it wasn't in the front of my mind.

 _"Charlie!" I screamed the words, clawing at my mother's arms to let me go. The fire climbed higher and higher up the building at my screams, but Mother refused to let me go. "Charlie!"_

 _There was a scream that ripped my heart apart, a scream that only me and my mom would recognize for it truly was. A siren scream. A tortured, pain-streaked siren scream. And that was all it took to melt me as I sunk to my knees in tears. I already knew what it was. It was the cry of my brother. And somehow, I knew it was the last thing I would hear from him._

 _My knee touched something on the ground, and my eyes landed on his pocket watch. His pocket watch; his prized possession. I picked it up, and hugged it to my chest as I closed my eyes._

"Oh, Charlie." I whisper the words. "If only I'd known then. I'm so sorry, Charlie. It's my fault. All my fault. But I won't let you down. I promise, I won't let her run free. As long as I have breathe in this body, I'll find some way to get back at her."

* * *

 **Oh, that was sad to write. ;-; But, that does give us a clue to this whole Mina and Savannah thing. And boy, did Teague mess up or what? How on earth is Mina supposed to trust Teague after _that_? Well, I mean, when he- Oops, wait. You guys don't get to know what could possibly change her mind. c: We'll just find that out later in the story...Anyways, opinions on this chapter? Let me know in the reviews!**

 **Speaking of reviews, can we get three reviews on this chapter? Then I will update again for you!**

 **~ Dagger**


	7. Chapter 7 - Backfire

**Chapter Seven - Backfire**

 **Alright guys, here's your next update! I'm going to apologize yet again for how slow this has been updating wise, but hopefully this specific update makes up for that!**

 **Just so you guys know, this is four days later. Yup. Four days. Which means this is the day of the ball. So, do enjoy!**

 **Evx : Indeed he did. You don't demand things from girls like that. And I guess we'll find out more about Savannah later...Way later, actually...:3 And I'm glad you liked it!**

 **heywassuphelloo : Yes, hating Savannah is good. Hating Savannah is a great idea. cx You'll find out about her in good time!**

 **booknerd00 : I'm glad it tugged at your emotions. c: It was supposed to. And yes. Everyone must wish to kill Savannah! Hehehe.**

 **Guest 1 : Yes...Mina was rude. But you'll realize later why she blew up the way she did. c: Trust me, it is legitimate. I wouldn't want to talk about it to anyone if it happened to me, especially if they demanded me to.**

 **Goat : Haha, well, I will say one thing. Savannah was involved in the fire. I won't say how. c: You will have to keep dying of suspense till then.**

 **Guest 2 : Thank you!**

 **And now? On with the show!**

* * *

 _Teague's POV_

* * *

It's been four days now. Four days. And I'm sadly still receiving silent treatment from Mina. Since she refuses to talk to me or listen to me, I've been leaving her gifts on the table. Mainly chocolate and flowers. Sadly, she's ignored those too. Is her heart made of stone or something? Generally I've been able to get girls to fall for me way before this.

I brush out my suit a bit. There's no time to contemplate this now. I have a job to do.

"You look fantastic." I say as she walks up behind me. No response, as usual. I yearn to apologize for what I did, but I don't think she'd listen. Not only that, but I have a feeling she would also decide to lecture me on assassin conduct. That's just something she would do..I think. I watch her as she shoves something into a hidden pocket in her dress. Probably another dagger. She has quite a few of those, way more than the average girl does. Then again, she is an experienced assassin. I guess that's only to be expected.

I open the door for her with a slight bow. "After you."

Still, I receive no response. She steps past me as if I am literally nothing. I can't even get her to yell at me again. Never have I ever been in any situation like this. I follow her down, and on the car ride over she is completely silent. I can't get a grip on what makes her tick. Generally I've always been able to figure out how to get someone to do what I want, or how to coax a certain emotion or reaction out of somebody. But this time? This time, I've somehow failed to grasp it. Did I miss a telling sign? Should I have noticed some small detail that I dismissed as nothing? I have no idea, and now I'm merely grasping at straws.

Once we arrive though, it's like she's a whole different person. We both are out of the car, and she links arms with me. A dazzling smile lights her face, one I have _never_ seen on her before. Actually, I don't know if I've ever seen her smile before. Is she acting? Or is this for real? Probably the former, as the latter seems to be wishful thinking, but I choose to believe the latter anyways. Just this once.

"Names?" At the door, an attendant stops us to check that we're on the list.

"Amy Watson and Tyler Williams." She responds eloquently and naturally. That lie is pulled without a hitch, so all I have to do is nod.

"Have a good evening." He opens the door, and we step inside.

When we reach the ballroom, I'm in shock at the vastness of it, even though I've already seen it. I don't know, but something about the fact that it's filled with people seems to make it seem like it's the first time I've ever been here. But, now to go on with the plan. And that plan is to act normal till we see this Carmichael guy.

"Would you like to dan-" I turn to look at Mina, but she's not there. How did I miss that? How did I miss her arm slipping out of mine? My eyes skim over the crowd, but there are so many masked girls - not to mention that it seems she slipped on a Glamour so she doesn't stand out - and just so many people in general that I can't see her anywhere.

That idiot! What on earth is she doing, ditching the plan like this? She's supposed to be the best, but she's letting her emotions cloud her judgement! Working solo is an awful idea considering what abilities this Fae - and possibly his son - have! I have to find her!

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

I slip through the crowd, and manage to make it up one of the many staircases to one of the many balconies. That should give me a position to watch till I can see the target. And once I see him, I can track him. I hang back in the shadows, waiting with baited breathe. Half of me looks for the target, but the other half is watching for Teague. I need to make sure he doesn't see me. He'll mess it up. I just know it. I need to work solo. I should've from the start, but I only thought of it just now. Not that it matters. This is how it'll be.

"Why are you looking for my father?" A voice asks from behind me.

I flinch, and whip around to be faced with a boy. He has bright blue eyes that bore into mine, and I feel frozen, which is my first clue that this guy is nothing but trouble. His hair is a sun-bleached blonde - is everyone blonde around here? - while his suit is a simple black. His mask is also simple, as it's just white. But his lips are in a smirk, not a frown, and I don't think that's good.

"It's not nice to murder people, you know." He takes a step closer, but I'm pressed against the railing of this balcony already. Not that I really feel like moving would work, because something about him is throwing me off balance. Did he inherit his father's Fae abilities? Because I'm doomed if so.

"Stop it." I whisper-shout at him, and the feeling of being frozen eases slightly. He pulls back a bit, but the smirk doesn't leave his face.

"Interesting. A Siren with a Lure. I can't say I've ever met one before. Your Lure can't be more powerful than Enticement though, so I have nothing to worry about."

He's baiting me. Somewhere inside me, I know he's baiting me. But I can't stop myself from biting it. I'm too riled up from other things already. If it's one problem I have, it's that I have a temper that is way too short.

"Is that a challenge?" My eyes narrow, although I'm slightly freaked out that he can figure out this much about me. What can he do, read minds? Mess with them? I believe his father can manipulate minds, so I guess his son - if he has Fae abilities, and he certainly does - would have a similar skill.

"Maybe it is. What are you going to do about it?" He steps closer.

 _Move away from me._ I send the command silently, praying that it works.

He steps backwards, but not a lot. It hardly has any effect on him it seems. Shoot! "Impressive for a girl, but feeble."

 _Stop trying to fight me._ The silent order sends a chill through my body, and I feel frozen again. This time, I heard his command in my mind. Was that because he wanted me to? Or because I was listening? But suddenly I'm wanting to obey, and it's like I'm ripping myself apart as two sides of me struggle about whether or not to do what he asks.

He grabs my arm, pulling me down the hallway - half of me is willing, while the other have fights the entire way, so it's really half struggling and half following - and into a room. I'm panicking now. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot! I've going to get myself killed! My free hand slides into one of the hidden pockets of my dress, groping for a hilt of one of my daggers. I manage to grab one, and begin to slowly pull it out.

"Release the dagger." It slips from my grasp.

I need to hide my thoughts. I can't let him here me. He pushes me against the wall, but my Lure seems to be having no effect on him. And that's extremely bad. I try to focus my thoughts on anything but what I'm about to do, and end up focusing on one of the worst things possible.

Charlie.

It hurts, but as I push that thought to the forefront of my mind, I try to do something I managed to do a few times with Charlie. With our Lures, there were a few times where he and I could communicate back and forth in our heads. It was temporary and it weakened us fast, but it worked. Hopefully I can send one-way messages still.

 _Teague!_ I scream his name in my head while trying to focus on Charlie.

I regret calling for him almost instantly. I don't trust him. He probably won't even come. And that made me dizzy. I catch sight of something in the boy's hand. What was his name again? Brody? My vision is extremely fuzzy, probably because it took a lot to probe around and try to catch Teague's thought line - I'm not even sure I did - in order to communicate, but I manage to make out that it's a dagger. And it has letters on the hilt. An E, a R, a J, an A, and a D. Erjad? My prized dagger? He's going to take me out like that?

"Don't scream." He whispers in my ear. "As long as you obey that, this won't hurt too much. You'll wake up in a little while, after I've figured out where to keep you till this is over. I can't have you getting away and possibly hurting my father, now can I?"

I manage to send out one last thought. _Teague, get the target! Forget about me!_ I guess being in a near death situation makes you instinctively trust people. Or maybe I've unintentionally forgiven him. I don't know.

Something nicks my arm as the world spins, and then the hilt of the dagger slams into my head. The lights all go out as I hit the ground.

* * *

 **Uh oh. Things are not looking good for Mina right now, are they? Do you guys think Teague will risk the mission and go save her? Or do you think he'll listen and kill the target first, which is potentially risking Mina's life? Let me know in a review! Also, let me know what you think of Brody's character!**

 **To explain about the whole Enticement thing and why her Lure was weaker and why she was falling into it so easily was, first, she was angry. In this reality, Mina's Lure is weaker when she's blinded by anger. Second, she was taken by surprise by how strong Brody's Enticement was. (Speaking of Enticement, that basically allows you to "entice" thoughts/information out of someone's head, and it also allows you to get specific actions out of people if you want it. It works better on the opposite gender.)**

 **Three reviews will buy next chapter!**

 **~ Dagger**


	8. Chapter 8 - Double Trouble

**Chapter Eight - Double Trouble**

 **Hey guys! Here's the next update for you guys! Hopefully you guys like it, since it'll be handling some of the drama we left off with last chapter! xD Of course, drama is putting it lightly.**

 **Evx : Haha, ya, it is kind of her fault. xD And Teague is pretty awesome. As for Brody, I'm glad I brought him down on the hate meter! cx I hate him quite a bit, more so from Forever than the other books, although I do hate him quite a bit.**

 **Roseberry007 : Sorry it took so long to update! Hopefully the suspense wasn't too suspenseful! X3**

 **heywassuphelloo : I'm glad you like the ball so far, and I'm glad you like Brody's character too! I like writing a different kind of Brody, so I'm glad it's not disappointing!**

 **booknerd00 : Hehe xD That sums up this story so far in a bajillion less sentences. It's pretty accurate too. cx I think Mina is just paranoid, but she does have good reasons to be. However, I'm not going to tell you what sort of things would give her a reason to be like this because that's just the nice author I am. :p It would give away too much vital plot stuff anyways.**

 **Guest 1 : Yup. If you've read any of my other stories, you probably know by now that I like to jumble things up and mess with all the prior knowledge people have from the series...And then chuck that knowledge out the window. xp Jk, but I do really like to twist things and see how I can bend things that people thought they knew. As for Erjad? The dagger is a bit different, as it's not poisoned in this alternate universe. So don't worry about that!**

 **Guest 2 : I probably wouldn't, mainly because I just don't think I'd be able to write it well. However, I do have a sequel to my story Just Follow Me that will be coming out at one point or another, and that will be similar? It won't be exactly the same, but it will cover Mina and Teague's children's perspectives. :3 But you guys will have to wait in agony for that if you read Just Follow Me...I mean...Uh...You guys will have to wait till that comes. xD**

* * *

 _Teague's POV_

* * *

It was one of those moments people always talk about where you have two choices. One of the things you know is right. The other is the thing you've been instructed to do and know you have to do. I had to choose between saving Mina's life - even though she had treated me like dirt - or going and killing the man we'd been sent here to kill, with the possibility of losing Mina in the process.

The answer was simple. I was going to go save her miserable life.

I take that back. It wasn't miserable. It was just thankless. Maybe this would change her opinion on me though, if she could see past me completely disregarding her orders. Hopefully she could. I was going to have to try something really hard though. As a Royal, I could shapeshift, and that had given me a very dangerous idea. If I could shapeshift into the form of the son, I could cause havoc just because I was in his form. After all, how are you supposed to tell the real from the fake? It was foolproof.

Actually, it had so many holes that I was pretty sure it would fail. But it was worth a shot. I had to try for Mina's sake.

Tracing the magic she'd used to send me the message wasn't hard. There was no way to really explain it, but I'd always been able to track magic like this back to the source. In this case, I was tracking Mina with it. It only works if I am directly affected by it, but since that's the case here, I have no need to worry. Speeding up now, I manage to make it up a staircase and down a hallway.

 _I'm coming, Mina._ I whisper in my head. _I won't let you down._

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

Out of all the ways I've gotten myself knocked out, that had to have been the worst. When I come to, I've been moved to a different room. My wrists are bound, and I think the rope must have iron somewhere on it, because I have absolutely no power. And that puts me at an even higher risk. Snap.

"Oh good. You're awake." Out of the shadows steps the son of the guy I'm supposed to be off killing right now. The one who knocked me out. The one who no doubt tied me up and gagged me here. Brody.

Did I ever decide that I officially hated him as much as Savannah? Probably not formally, but now I did. I was also a complete idiot. I had wanted to be professional, but I became the rash and irresponsible one. And now? Now I was left at Brody's mercy to be toyed with, not knowing if Teague was going to listen to everything I said, part of what I said, or nothing that I said. For all I know, he had bailed and I had no hope whatsoever.

What really throws me off though is when the door swings open. A burst of light floods in, and standing in the door is...Another Brody? My eyes widen in horror, confusion, and fright.

"What on the plane is going on here?" Brody cries out.

My thoughts exactly.

* * *

 **Sorry this update was shorter, guys! Hopefully you still liked it! I promise the next one will be longer to make up for it! What do you guys think of this chapter? You were all right, Teague is going to try and save her. But do you think his plan will work?**

 **Either way, let me know if you review! Three reviews gets the next chapter!**

 **~ Dagger**


	9. Chapter 9 - An Author's Plea For Help

**Chapter Nine - Author Pleas For Help**

 **Hey guys! I'm back from the realm of the dead! Just kidding, I've never been there. c; But I am back, and while it's not with an update, it is a very, very important question.**

 **So, I want to finish this part with the Carmichael assassination, but then I have a question for what happens after that. I want to move forward a bit in the story, and skip quite a bit of the stuff after to get to a certain point. This would mean not showing some of the development between Teague and Mina. Is this okay with everyone? Or would you rather wait for possibly a rather large period of time till I decide how I want to write the part to come? If that's the case, I can't guarantee I'll even end up finishing the story. Please give me some opinions, guys! I need help!**

 **Thanks for waiting so well for my next update!**

 **~ Dagger**


	10. Chapter 9 And A Half - He Who Wins Wins

**Chapter 9 And 1/2 - He Who Wins Wins It All**

 **Hey guys, so here's the actual story line that would be Chapter 9! c: I'm responding the Chapter 8 reviews now, since I didn't originally. ^-^ It's time for more of our story, and it's about to take a whole new spin! Everybody ready?**

 **Evx : Haha, I'm glad my updates make you so happy! And haha, I know, I completely understand. Mina is kind of a jerk sometimes, but I promise it'll be worth it in the end. c: And thanks for sharing him. I _guess_ I can share too. cx Also, to answer you from your reviews on Chapter 9, yes, we will find out what happened between Savannah and Mina. :3**

 **Heywassuphelloo : I'm glad you are excited! Hopefully this actual update won't disappoint. c;**

 **Guest 1 : Haha, we'll find out now how it went!**

 **Guest 2 : I'm glad you thought it was so good! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

 **lisa : Aw, thank you! That means a lot to hear that!**

* * *

 _Mina's Pov_

 _Twenty Assassinations Later (a.k.a roughly three months later)_

* * *

"That one went off without a hitch." Blonde Boss chuckles as he leans forward to look at Teague and me. "Much better than the Carmichael case, am I right? Although you managed to still pull that one off too, even if you did kill an extra person. I believe you were only supposed to kill Mr. Carmichael."

I think back to that whole situation, frowning at my own stupidity. I nearly got Teague killed. Brody Carmichael's father found both Brodys standing in the room, and both Brodys grabbed me by the arm. It was around then that I realized that this Brody 2 was really Teague. I don't know how exactly I could tell when he touched me, but I could. And they began arguing and bickering again, jerking at me, although I could feel that Teague jerked a bit less hard, even in my pained state. In the end, Mr. Carmichael decided that the real Brody was fake, and killed him, only to have Teague kill him. It was a very strange experience, one I've chosen to forget most of the details of, besides the ones Teague reminds me of constantly.

"The Carmichael case went just fine on my part." Teague smirks, and I cross my arms.

I huff, "Who asked you?"

Teague knows I'm only messing with him this time though, and puts my arm around me. "So much for your perfect record, hm?"

"My record is still perfect because the target was killed." I respond, poking him in the side.

"You two deserve a break." Boss interrupts our quarrel, looking slightly amused, especially in my direction. Of course, I pretty openly hated Teague at first, so I guess it makes sense that he finds this funny. "Go on, take one. I'll have a new case for you guys soon, maybe in a couple of days."

Teague stands up first, getting out of the room. I follow after him, and as I catch up to walk beside him he takes my hand. After a few turns though, the intercom goes off. "Wilhelmina Grime, Templestiltskin, and Tinker Bell, please report to Boss's office."

Frowning, I slip my hand from Teague's hold. "I'll be back, okay?"

"Of course. Are we still on for dinner tonight?" Teague tilts his head a little, looking down at me.

"You bet." As I turn to go, Teague spins me back around, and gives me a quick kiss.

"Smile a bit, okay? You don't have to look so serious all the time." Winking, he walks off, leaving me to touch a hand to my lips. It's not the first time he's kissed me, but it's one of the first, and it takes me by surprise.

I hurry back to Boss's office, and find I'm the last to arrive. Golden Templestiltskin, who I haven't seen too much of myself, sits in one chair, tossing his hair a bit as he looks over at me and raises an eyebrow. Tinker Bell fidgets with her bun, glancing at me and offering a nervous grin of encouragement. And Boss just sits there, grim-faced. I haven't seen him so serious in awhile. This must not be for anything good. Since there's only three chairs and one is always Boss's, I'll be standing. But I'm the youngest, so I expected that much.

"I'm afraid that I've heard some idle things here and here that give me cause to worry. Some files, maps, and reports have gone missing. I haven't been informed just yet of which, but no doubt they are important. And it's an inside job. Only a few people went into the archives recently though, and so I want all three of you tracking the ones that we think could possibly be it. Templestiltskin, you'll be watching Kino." Templestiltskin nods, obviously knowing who that is, although he is the oldest. I, on the other hand, have no idea who that is. "Tinker Bell, I want you watching Ruby."

Tinker Bell interrupts here. "Ruby?"

"Right, you probably haven't seen her too much, she's not the most open girl. Wears a red riding hood and is often carrying a basket around? She has a wolf necklace too, but that might be less visible." Boss' description brings to mind the classic Little Red Riding Hood story, but a little bit modernized. Maybe she's a descendant? "You probably won't see her face too much, but she's got a scar under her right eye. Her hair is black, and she's go blue eyes. Got it?"

"Right." Tinker Bell nods.

"Now Mina." Boss turns to me. "You need to watch Teague."

I swear I stop breathing for a moment. "Teague?"

"Yes, Teague." He nods. "You are the closest to him," I suppose being his somewhat-girlfriend and assassin-partner is being pretty close to him, "and you will be the least suspicious if you play your cards right."

"Okay." Taking a deep breathe, I nod. "But I doubt it's him."

Boss shrugs. "Prove it then. Now you three should all be off. Get to work, and if you find out anything, tell me right away."

Like I'm going to do that. If I find anything out, I'm going to handle it myself. I do that best most of the time. But I nod my head in sync with everyone else like a good, little girl. Don't want any suspicion or reassignment. And I _definitely_ don't want them thinking _I_ did it!

And so, on that note, I head out, and Templestiltskin and Tinker Bell are close behind.

* * *

 **Interesting...Which of the three do you think did it? Or is it someone else completely, and we just don't know it? Let me know your ideas in the reviews!**

 **I'll try to update again soon!**

 **~ Dagger**


	11. Chapter 10 - Silent Accusations

**Chapter Ten - Silent Accusations**

 **Hey guys! Once again, my apologies for my disappearance! I promise, I am still alive! This story is still going! Everything is alright!**

 **Well, almost. You see, I had this notebook that somewhere inside it had everything I had planned to have happen in this story. There is one slightly problem though. I don't know which notebook it is. In fact, I only have managed to rule out one notebook so far. So, after this update (which I'm trying to write based off what I remember), I will have to find that in order to continue because I actually need it to remember. ;-; Hopefully I'll remember all I had planned for this chapter though!t**

 **Evx : Haha, yes. Teague is a suspect. :3 I won't be giving any spoilers as to who it is though (although this chapter does kind of tell who it is depending on your opinion on what it shows)! And that makes sense on Ruby, so we'll have to see about her. I'm glad you like the twist!**

 **PRINCESSJOSLIN : I'm super duper glad you like it! Hopefully this update won't disappoint you. c;**

 **09Who knew90 : I'm super glad you like it so far! And I'm glad you like the new plot, and that it's keeping you on your toes. While I love assassinations, I like writing this even better. It's much more stressful cause it's personal-er (that is now a word) to the reader since their ship is possibly at stake. :p**

 **It's time, everyone. For Narnia! Oops, wait, that's a different story. (and someone should totally write a story with aspects of Narnia in it because NARNIA)**

* * *

 _Mina's POV_

* * *

Standing in Teague's apartment's rather sparse living room, I can feel my heart beating twice as fast as it normally does. I don't normally freak myself out whenever I'm sneaking around. I guess the fact that I'm sneaking around in my pretty-much-boyfriend-but-not-officially-my-boyfriend's house is panicking me a that I really should worry. Teague can't be the person who's been stealing things. He just can't.

Of course, it'll be hard to explain to him why I'm here if he shows up, so we'll just have to hope he doesn't show up.

A quick sweep of the room shows that it too has nothing. There is nothing in this home that proves Teague is guilty yet. Sadly, that doesn't prove him innocent though either. I turn, and walk down the hallway to the door on the end. This is his room, and I didn't check it yet. I felt like I would be invading his place. But now, I have to do it, because this is the last place.

Opening the door, I step inside. I mentally prepare myself for the disaster zone, knowing I'll have to make sure not to disrupt it or he'll notice someone was here. Instead, I'm greeted with a neat and tidy room. Whether or not this set up is better for me, I don't know yet. However, my eyes do catch on a messy pile of papers that spreads across about half of his white desk, which is in the left corner of the room near the window. Ignoring everything else, I make my way over there as fast - and quietly - as I can. The top few are absolutely useless, but the ones underneath are startling.

First, there are maps. It only takes me a look at a few of them to realize what they are. They're maps of Grimm, and each map is one level of the place. Boss said only a few maps had gone missing. Was that just to not cause us too much trouble over this? Or does he not realize how many of these things have been missing? There are some quick notes and circled spots on the maps, and while I want to focus on these and find out what those are, I need to check for anything else there might be.

Underneath the maps are the missing reports Boss mentioned, sprinkled in with some normal papers. Most are reports simply on security breaches, but some even have what was edited after them. A little sick feeling crawls into my stomach as I look at them. The maps and reports point to Teague planning some sort of secret break-in. But why? He has access to the building already. So what could be so important that he would need to break-in to do it?

I look underneath the reports, and bite my lip to keep from making a pained noise, because I see what these papers are the moment I see the first one. These are files on the highest ranked people in Grimm, mainly in the assassin business, although they are once again sprinkled in with normal papers. The first few, actual pages are all on Boss, and I don't let myself read too much of the info on them. I don't want to know all the awful stuff he's done, or any weaknesses. I'd lose my respect for him. The pages after that are on Templestiltskin, and then on Tinker Bell. But there's a few more pages underneath, and I have the horrible feeling I know exactly what is under there. There was files on Boss, and two other highest-leveled assassins.

I'm the only other highest-leveled person to my knowledge.

I turn the one paper over ever so slightly to see a part of the next page, in case that confirms my suspicions. I only see part of a word, 'Wilhe', but it's enough to slap me in the face. They were right. Teague has been stealing things. The sick feeling in my stomach has grown considerably. The worst part is, I can't tell anyone any of it if I want to keep Teague safe and figure out what on earth is going on by myself.

Am I even allowed to let my heart interfere with my job like this?

When I get home, I sink on to my couch. I ran from Teague's home as fast as I could, leaving the papers there. I didn't want to get caught there by him, especially now that I knew he was guilty. In my head, I'm screaming at myself, telling me to get a grip and reign in my emotions. My heart is still thudding fast in my chest, and the feeling like I might throw up hasn't gone away either.

To put it simply, I feel awful inside, even though I probably look just fine outside.

That's whenever I remember the bug I placed on Teague's phone, before I happened to sneak into his house. He wasn't paying attention to it, too focused on arguing with the manager about the reserved seats he'd gotten that apparently weren't reserved. I hadn't even thought anything about it, but now I do. I sit at my computer, loading up the information from it. There aren't very many calls he's made since I bugged it, and I skim through them, starting to listen before skipping to the next.

I click one of the most recent ones, and my heart stops thudding so fast in my chest. In fact, it stops completely when I recognize who's talking to Teague. A thousand awful things come to mind with it, and I grab the desk, forcing myself to breath and get my heart pumping again.

He's talking to Savannah White!

* * *

 ***gasp* Savannah White? No! Not her! D: Haha, actually, yes her. I'm just not going to tell you what they're saying till next chapter. c; Hopefully it's not too much suspense for you guys! Cause I don't want to go to jail if the suspense ends up killing you.  
**

 **Speaking of the next chapter, once there are three reviews I will update! ^-^ The faster we get those, the faster the update happens. I want you guys to know though that I love reading the reviews you guys give! Your reactions, opinions, predictions, and the like mean a lot to me, and really help me love this fandom even more. And I'd love to know if you guys think Teague is actually guilty or not, and why he might be talking to Savannah!**

 **Until next time, guys!**

 **~ Dagger**


	12. Chapter 11 - Phone Call of Jerks

**Chapter Eleven - Phone Call Of Jerks  
**

 **Hey guys! This week, there's going to be Killer of My Heart updates! Who's excited? I'm excited! :D Maybe we'll even finish the story, if I update enough. c: I apologize I took so long to update this story, I've been busy making a volcano and memorizing the Gettysburg Address. ;-; It was not fun. However, to make up for it, this update week starts today and ends next Friday!  
**

 **Evx : Are you sure he can't be guilty? Whether or not he is, I won't tell. :p**

 **Now, shall we see the story? I know I was going to wait for three reviews, but our community seems to have lost a lot of the readers recently. :c However, some people have stayed, which is good!**

* * *

 _Mina's Point of View_

* * *

"Hey Teague, baby." The moment I hear the words exit Savannah's mouth, the killer inside me stirs. Not to mention the hatred in me for Savannah - which I thought could get no bigger - does the impossible and grows. I caught their conversation starting, although I almost wish I hadn't. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Savannah." The fact that Teague sounds the tiniest bit exasperated flies past me completely, because I can't get over the fact that he's talking to _Savannah_ , of all people! "Why are you calling me?"

"You're not going to ask me how I am?" I can almost _hear_ the pout in here voice, and it sickens me. "And here I was thinking you had suddenly got manners." Wait, do they know each other? As in, they've been friends for awhile?

He sighs, but I ignore it. "How are you, Savannah?"

"Quite fine." I can picture her triumphant smile now, and my fingers dig into the desk as I grab it in order to keep myself from not breaking the machine.

"So, why are you calling me?" Teague's 'no nonsense' voice comes through loud and clear to my ears, but not to my brain.

"The last call didn't go through. I figured I should make sure everything was okay, you know? I'm sure you would do the same." Her answer makes me even angrier.

They _have_ been calling before! There's something going on with them. But what? My mind goes through all the possible reasons they could know each other and be calling each other. Blackmail, an alone case for Teague, a case with Savannah - of all people - and Teague being partners, and a secret partnership to do some plan one of them had all cross through my mind as possibilities, but another, far more upsetting reason, pushes past all of them. Is Teague cheating on me? And with Savannah, of all people? Maybe there's a different reason along with him cheating on me, but _still_.

"Everything is fine at the moment." I don't like the sound of that statement from Teague in this particular scenario.

"And your girlfriend," She says the word with such distaste, "doesn't suspect anything?"

"Mina has no clue about any of this." So he thinks. He's too self-confident, and he's underestimating me. "And I'll be keeping it that way."

"Why are you still with her? Wouldn't it be easier if you broke up with her?" Her question makes me even _more_ mad, but I also can't wait for Teague to give her a verbal slap in response.

Instead, I'm indirectly, verbally slapped. "It'd look too suspicious if I broke up with her now. Besides, she's easier to keep in the dark while we're dating, and she has lots of resources available to her. I get to reap the benefits of that while I'm her boyfriend. It's much easier to get things done as her boyfriend, especially with all the connections she has."

I pull my hand off the desk, clench it into a fist, and slam it into the desk - hard - as Savannah purrs, "When all is said, will you break up with her then?"

"That remains to be seen." I instantly take that to mean yes, and my heart stings inside of my chest. What a jerk! He's been using me all along!

Savannah pauses before asking, "Are you going to see her now?"

"Yup. I wouldn't be a proper boyfriend if I wasn't." Wait, what?

She chuckles, but in a sort of unhappy way. "How close are you?"

"Five minutes away." Shoot! I unplug the device before I can hear any more of that garbage, and shove the device into a filing cabinet.

Once it's locked and the key is hidden, I contend to the fact that I'm extremely angry. If Teague walked in now, I would probably punch him in the face, yell at him for a little bit, and then drag him off and report him right now. However, I need to know what's going on, and I want to make him pay myself. So, I need to calm down, or else in five minutes I'll just be even madder. So, I do the only natural thing. I slap myself as hard as possible across the face, although if you asked me what purpose it served I wouldn't be able to tell you. It does manage to stop my anger though, because I begin to scold myself for giving myself a nosebleed as I rush to my apartment's kitchen. I could be staying with my family, but since it's a short break - and I thought my boyfriend would be spending time with me - I didn't go see them. I rip a paper towel off the roll and begin to pinch my nose. Now I begin to regain some control and also calm down.

A knock at the door two minutes later - while there's still no sign that my nosebleed is going to go away anytime soon - proves that Teague _was_ actually calling Savannah, and that I didn't somehow bug the wrong phone. Which, I have to admit, I was hoping that that would be the case, and that Savannah somehow knew I bugged that phone and wanted to upset me.

"Coming!" I call in response, sounding a bit weird with my pinched nose, although I take my time actually getting the door. I was hoping my nosebleed would finish before I saw jerk-face, but it doesn't, so I'll have to let him in and get questioned about it.

So, begrudgingly, I open the door for my liar of a boyfriend, and there he is with his ever-dashing smile on his face. Part of me wishes I could smack it off right then and there, seeing as he's interacting with Savannah - the girl I hate with every fiber of my being - but I keep my cool. So, instead, I smile. I can't let him know anything is wrong right now, after all. He holds a bouquet of roses in his hands - making my blood boil a bit after what I heard - although he nearly drops it when he seems me pinching my nose and standing there.

"Mina, what on the plane happened?" He reaches out in concern, but I flinch away on my old instinct, causing him to look a bit hurt. I don't care though, because even if we're technically dating and I need to try and be normal, he deserves to be hurt.

I mumble, "It was kind of stupid," which is not a lie. It _was_ rather stupid of me to slap myself.

"What did you do?" He still sounds concerned, although the hurt is still there as well.

"It doesn't matter." I shake my head in response.

Thankfully, he has the sense to drop it, and he chuckles a little to ease the mood. His eyes show that he's still hurt though. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Positive." I wave his concerns off like they're nothing, and then take the opportunity to ask my own question. "So...What are you doing here?"

"I'm not allowed to just pop in unexpectedly and visit my girlfriend?" He asks like it's completely normal, but I shake my head in answer.

"Nope. You never do that. And if you got me flowers, you must _really_ want something." He looks even more hurt when I say that, and I don't even have the decency to feel a little bit sorry for saying that.

"You've just seemed on edge recently." He says, shrugging. "Actually, you've seemed on edge ever since Boss called you into his office." Which wasn't all that long ago. "I wanted to know if he saying anything that..." He sounds a bit awkward as he tries to find the right words, "That made you uncomfortable?"

In that moment, I come to the conclusion that he probably doesn't care about how I'm doing at all. He just wants to know if he's suspected or not.

"No, why?" It didn't make me uncomfortable, because I didn't believe it at the time. It makes me uncomfortable _now_ though.

"I thought maybe you'd been given bad news or something like that." He shrugs it off like it's nothing, but I think he looks a bit relieved. What a jerk! "So..." He shifts a little awkwardly.

"So what?" I raise an eyebrow, and he extends the flowers to me, which I take with my free hand.

"Do you want to go out to dinner? We haven't been on a proper date in awhile." He looks so sincere, and I almost think maybe he was lying to Savannah. Almost.

"Of course." I force myself to smile, although on the inside I think I'm going to be sick.

* * *

 **Here's our first update for this story in awhile! What did you guys think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Please give me your opinions! I rewrote the entire thing after not liking the way it was flowing, so it took longer than it should've. I would've posted this chapter a few days ago had I not decided to rewrite it. Hopefully it was worth it!  
**

 **I'll try to update again soon. Please review with your opinion on all of this! I have this entire story mapped out, but I'd love to know what you guys think is going to happen.**

 **~ Dagger**


	13. Chapter 12 - Someone's Been Keeping

**Chapter Twelve - Someone Has Been Keeping Secrets**

 **Woah guys, I'm back after a _long_ disappearance from this story. I suppose it partly has to do with the other stories getting interest recently versus this one only having one from Evx. cx So, this chapter is definitely for Evx! Hopefully it isn't disappointing.**

 **Evx : Aw, I'm sorry about your heart. Hopefully it won't hurt _too_ much by the time I'm done. c;**

 **Now, shall we get on to this story? I'm excited, because we're getting closer to the end! I may update this once right after this, as I'd like to finish this in order to focus on some other stories on here. Oh, who am I kidding? I just really want to see the reactions to the ending. Plus I want to work on other stories/series.**

* * *

 _Teague's Point of View_

* * *

Something is definitely wrong with Mina. I can tell when she purposefully opens her door before I can, and when she does her best to avoid eye contact and talking. I'm not sure what's up, but she's definitely slipping back into how she used to act in our partnership. It's throwing me off, but I try not to show that. It's not possible that she's found anything out, right?

"Teague, I'm going to be sick." Her sudden comment takes my by surprise, and I glance over at her for a moment as she grabs her stomach. "Stop the car."

"Give me a second." I pull over out of the stream of traffic to a parking spot by the sidewalk, and Mina latches onto the door.

"Please unlock it." She coughs a little, and when I do, hops out of the car.

That's when something hits me. She's either going to throw up in a crowd of people, or I'm being tricked. Or, it's something completely different. I step out of the car with the keys, shutting both my and her door and then locking it. My eyes catch Mina slipping inside a shop across the street that appears to be a clothing store. Or, more specifically, a dress store. One that we've been in before, and that I've been in even more than those times. Not that Mina knows that.

I hurry across the street, and once inside, dodge behind a rack of dresses on clearance. Now I'm able to pay attention to listening to Mina, who's talking to the blonde employee who rang all our stuff up before.

"-to speak to the manager." Mina finishes, and I can almost imagine her leaning against the checkout as she finishes the statement.

The bubbly girl seems to stutter a little as she says, "I'm not sure if that's possible. She's extremely bus-"

"Please," Mina interrupts, "ask her. Tell her that Grimm is here if you have to. This is extremely important. More than you know."

"Well, I mean, I'll try." Her tone makes it sound like she doesn't think it'll be possible.

I contemplate revealing myself being here to Mina, in order to demand to know what's going on. Surely she didn't think this would fool me? She's been gone for so long anyways. I decide on not revealing myself, but I still can't figure out what's she doing here. Or why she's doing this.

"Mina!" There's glee in the voice of the girl that speaks, and I peer through the dresses as inconspicuously as I can to see the pixie who runs this joint hug Mina. "You haven't been here in forever! Are you here for a wedding dress?" She pulls away, winking and playfully poking Mina in the side. "If so, you may want to try across the street. We don't sell those here."

Mina gives a weak chuckle in response. "Ah, Ever, that's not the case." I barely catch her mutter, "And it may never be," under her breathe bitterly.

What's that supposed to mean? What on earth is going through her head? She couldn't possibly suspect anything, could she? I've been doing so well at keeping her in the dark.

"Okay, then what do you need that could possibly be an emergency?" Ever asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to ask you some questions about anyone who may have stopped by for some _special_ stock recently." Mina raises an eyebrow back as she says the words, and Ever nods her head as she catches on.

"Of course. Who do you need to know about?" Ever asks, and when she sees the blonde employee looking excited behind the cashier to hear this, she shooes her away. "And Nan, there are some new dresses in the back room. Can you sort them?" Looking disappointed, Nan scampers off, and Ever turns her attention back to Mina. "There. Now, who is it you need to ask about?"

"Has anyone by the name of Kino stopped in here recently?" She asks it nonchalantly, but I can hear the desperation for a certain answer in her voice. But for what answer?

Ever pauses to think before answering, "I don't believe so. If they did, it sure wasn't to get any special stock."

Mina nods. "Right. What about anyone by the name of Red?"

I let out an inward sigh of relief, because this doesn't seem to have to do with me. Maybe Boss gave her a solo mission, and she just didn't want to tell me? Yes, that must be it. This doesn't have to do with me at all.

Once again, Ever shakes her head. "Nope. No Red."

Mina takes a deep breathe, and then hesitantly asks, "Wha...What about Teague?"

My heart sinks. She's asking about me, and I have been here recently. But why is she asking about me?

"He's been here recently. Bought some special stock too, although I wasn't sure why he needed it. It seemed extremely messy for your line of business." Ever unintentionally rats me out completely, and I want to strangle her, although I don't.

"I was afraid of that." Mina shakes her head, shutting her eyes for a moment before reopening them. "If for some reason he were to come and ask if I were here, I wasn't. Okay?"

So she's asking Ever to lie for her? Why shouldn't I know she was here?

"Of course." Ever nods her head. "But why are you in such a hurry?"

"I need to stop by one more place before someone catches up with me." And with that, Mina runs off, and I'm left feeling confused.

That someone has to be me. But why all the secrecy? Why can't I know about what's going on? Why is she so distant? Why is she lying to me?

* * *

 **Woah, okay. So, next chapter, we're gonna see more of both Teague's and Mina's past. c: Are you guys excited for that? And what about this chapter? Did you guys enjoy seeing Ever make an appearance? And what do you think about Mina's secrecy? Why was she asking about Teague being there, and does it prove or disprove he's the one stealing stuff? And where else might she have to go?  
**

 **Please review if you read this, even if it's with constructive criticism! I'd really appreciate it. ;3**

 **~ Dagger**


	14. Chapter 13 - You Can't Hide Tears

**Chapter Thirteen - You Can't Hide Tears**

 **Hey Evx! I'm back with an update just for you! c; I'm hoping there are others who are enjoying this story along with you, but seeing as you are the only one reviewing recently, this story is being updated specifically for you. ^-^**

 **Evx : Ah, but who would not love me? :p Just kidding, I'm glad you were happy to see this updated! We're getting closer and closer to the end and that makes me happy. I'm super excited to see what you'll think of the ending. :3 As for what's gonna happen with Mina and whether or not Teague will get in trouble, well, we'll just have to see, won't we? I'm glad you can't wait, although I'm sorry you had to! I know this wasn't as soon as you probably hoped for an update, but here one is! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **This update is gonna be rather sad, as you probably guessed from the chapter title. So be prepared for that. I'm not exactly sure how sad, but I'm going to give the heads up either way. I know what's gonna get brought up in this chapter has been brought up before, but it's going to get brought up again and we're going to get a lot more knowledge on it. I said at the time that we would be learning more about what had all been going down now, and let's just say seeing how Mina reacted then, she's going to react much worse now. So, with that lovely knowledge, let's find out what's going to be so sad!**

* * *

 _Mina's Point of View_

* * *

I rush down the street, heading for the library. Teague has been going to Ever's secret weapon stash that she allows people to buy from, which is further proof that he's the Fae Boss is looking for. But that's not the only thing. An awful thought came to me in there, one that I can't shake, and I think it has merit. I need to find out about it. And so, there's only one person to ask.

 _"Your boyfriend wasn't here to save your brother, now was he?"_

That's what Savannah told me. At the time, I had realized there was something off about that statement. Savannah made it sound like there was information she was keeping from me, and now I'm starting to worry that maybe it's something that I really hadn't thought was possible. Actually, it hadn't really crossed my mind as possible till now. I rush up the stone steps, past typical stone lions, and through double doors. The place looks quite empty for a library, but I don't care. I run over to the librarian desk, and there a face I know so well, but I haven't seen it in awhile.

"Mina!" Green eyes greet me as the redhead behind the desk looks up from his book, and a huge smile takes his face. "How are you doing?"

His smile falters a little when I sigh, but it doesn't go away completely. Not yet, anyways. "I'm not great, Nix. How are you?"

"How I am doesn't matter. I can see that you are feeling even worse than not great. What's up? Do you just need some cheering up from your closest friend? Or are you here on business terms?" He takes his feet off the desk, leaning forward as if that'll help him look at me better.

"I'd like to say I just need cheering up, but I'm here on business terms." That's not exactly true. This isn't exactly _business_ per say, although it will help me figure out how I handle this situation with Teague and Savannah. I'm hoping so desperately that I'm wrong, but I'm growing more and more afraid that I might be right. "I need to look at an article."

"An article? That's rather vague, Mina. You'll have to be more specific if you want me to actually be able to get it for you." He grins at me, but it isn't enough to make me smile back.

" _The_ article." I say in response. "The one about the fire."

The smile finally leaves his face, because that's enough to make him realize what article I mean. It's one he wrote, after all. He shakes his head a little as he says, "Mina, I don't want to make you have to relive that. You already had to live through it enough, and you've told me how painful it was. As a good friend, I-"

"-will let me see it, because if you don't show it to me my case will end in a disaster." My hand slips into my pocket as I talk, taking a tiny bit of comfort from holding Charlie's pocket watch in my hand, although I don't pull it out. I don't want Nix to realize how much this is already affecting me, even if it's not visible, because that one, single thing would be enough to alert him. And he would try to be a good friend and keep not showing it to me, and that wouldn't be good. I have to see it. I have to read it.

He sighs. "Alright, but don't say I didn't try to stop you. I don't know if you're going to want to read this."

He goes to a door behind his desk, opening it and disappearing into a room that looks to be filled with finals. I stand there for a few minutes, tapping my foot as I do. At one point I'm sure I hear the doors open, but I snap my head in the direction and no one is there. The doors don't even look disturbed. It must be my imagination.

Finally, Nix emerges, handing the paper over to me. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Mina."

The first thing I see is the headline. "Possibly Intentional Fire Kills One Boy." That already makes me feel sick. This doesn't seem to be off to a good start already. Of course, I know it was intentional. Somehow, Savannah organized the fire. It was to get back at me. But how did Nix know the fire was possibly intentional? He never shared his articles and now only shares them with Grimm, so I don't exactly know why he writes them, but the fact that he realized this could be an intentional fire isn't good.

Then I see the image under the headline, taken by Nix. It's slightly blurred, but I see the thing I expected - but hoped wasn't the case - very clearly. There's younger Savannah. I would recognize her natural red curls anywhere. In my own opinion, she was much prettier as a redhead then than as a blonde now. She wears a white blouse, a pink ruffled skirt that's a little shorter than what the dress code of the school we went to would've allowed, and pink heels. But I already knew she was behind the fire, so I'm not surprised about her. The thing that is shocking is the fact that _she_ seems to be on fire around her hands and up her arms. If anything, she seems to be having the flames slowly slide off her in the direction of the house.

Savannah Phoenix White seems to have been keeping some secrets from me.

That other secret is the boy to the side of and slightly behind her. He has black hair, and his bangs cover his eyes. Nearly. Even through the blur, I catch a glimpse of the familiar blue, and it makes my heart crack. I've been played for a fool. He's dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt, and black shoes, with a hand on her back. They worked together before. They might've even liked each other all the way back then. I've been played for a bigger fool than I thought. Teague was at the fire with Savannah, and he was helping her.

I tear my gaze off the image, forcing myself to begin to read the article. Except I don't just read it. That's not how Nix's articles work. It shows you time that has been frozen. It allows you in, to examine things and watching anything occur that he might've written about.

And that's how I find myself in front of my home - and the restaurant below - for the first time in years. I have to watch it burn all over again. The fire is burning and moving, but none of the people move. That means I'm not near a "trigger" area yet. Trigger areas specifically show stuff that Nix has recorded in the article. I mean to just go straight to the area that'll show me what Nix wrote about, which would be where Savannah and Teague are. But instead, I run into the building. The fire doesn't affect me. It can't, because I'm not actually here. I run up the staircase to my house, opening the door and rushing in. What I see breaks my heart. I shouldn't have run in here. What am I doing to myself?

The floor and walls are all on fire, and there's little Charlie, curled up on top of the couch. His hands are covering his ears, and his eyes are shut. He knows what's coming, and I break a little more. I don't know why, but I always had thought he didn't know it was coming till the end. That would be so much better, and while I shouldn't really have thought that because it wasn't logical, I did. Now I can't think that anymore, and it's awful to recognize the fact that he knew that death was coming. He was waiting for it. I know how that feels, and it makes me want to hold him close. I want to keep my brother safe. But as I approach him to try and hug him, even if it won't affect him in reality, my hand goes right through him. I can't even hug him. I turn and run out, shaking my head to clear away the tears starting to well up.

I head for the back alley where Teague and Savannah are going to be, but glance back once as I do. I see myself, clawing at my mom to try and make her release me as I try and run back to the house for my brother, Charlie. I'm frozen in the position, and it let's me know that Charlie hasn't screamed yet. That makes the scene in the house even worse. To the side, a young Nix - I sort of knew him from school at this time, but we weren't friends yet - peers around the corner with a camera, and I run past him. I reach Savannah first, because Teague is slightly behind the building. And, as I expected, it's the trigger.

"Surely you've finished by now?" Teague says, sounding rather impatient.

Savannah shakes her head. "Not have to make sure all the fire comes off onto the building."

Then, a scream hits the air, and I sink down to my knees. My face goes in my hands, and I let out a quiet sob. That was the last time I heard Charlie, and it's their fault.

"Perfect." That's Savannah's response, and despite my tears, I still hate her through my sadness and allow anger to mix in as well.

"Was there someone still inside?" That's Teague's voice, and I have hope for a moment that maybe he didn't know Savannah was going to try and murder someone.

I move my hands in order to see their faces through my tears. I almost wish I hadn't. Savannah has an unfazed look on her face that almost looks pleased. How can she be pleased that she murdered an innocent boy?

"Yes." She says it really blatantly, and although I expect it, it upsets me even more. "I'd been hoping to have the house burn fast enough that my old _friend_ would be in there, but having her brother die might be even better."

All this because I started isolating myself when I found out I was Fae? Savannah tried to go so far as to steal my notebook that I'd always had with me when I started to cut off all my friendships, and I freaked out on her. I told her that I was going to move schools after that, although I wasn't actually.

"So this _wasn't_ just about burning down a house. You wanted to make the revenge even worse." Teague says, and for a moment I have hope that he might be upset by this. "I like it."

That hope is quickly crushed.

"Now come on, we have to go. The police can't catch us here, or they might somehow try and say we did this. They won't have any actual evidence that we did, but who knows what they might say?" Teague moves his hand as she says this, and the final little flames suddenly disappear off Savannah.

She grabs his hand, and they quickly run away.

Everything goes dark, and Nix's voice says something he wrote in the article that it couldn't show. "There are two types of phoenixes. Birds and humans. Bird phoenixes are the traditional ones humans have in fairytales, dying only to be reborn and being able to make fires. They, of course, can also make portals to the Fae plane or the human plane, depending on which they are on. Human phoenixes, however, are a bit different. They are still Fae, but resemble humans more than other Fae. They can light themselves fully on fire and transfer this destructive fire on to other things, however another Fae needs to help them do this by touching them and supplying them with a magic source, as their own isn't powerful enough. I suspect that the girl is a human phoenix, due to the boy holding onto her while she made the flames and due to there being no bird on sight."

Savannah was a Fae, but she didn't tell me.

It makes sense that Nix wouldn't have told anyone about the fire. I would've gotten mad at him for not turning them in, but no one would've believed the story. And even if he'd found a Fae cop that would believe him, it would be nearly impossible to convict them, seeing as they lit the fire with Fae magic. I can't get mad at him, as much as I wish to. So instead, I push all that anger at Savannah and Teague. They have to pay.

"Mina?" Nix's voice drags me out of the article, although I was already at the end. "Are you okay?"

I shake my head, and he helps me up, pulling the article from my hands. He pulls me into a hug, and we stand there in silence for a few moments. I begin to quietly sob into his shoulders. The first time I really had a conversation with Nix that wasn't small talk was when he found me hiding after school and crying in a classroom about Charlie. The conversation that lead to us being friends had me crying almost the entire thing. He saw me broken, and I have a feeling I can never change that image of me in his head.

"Oh Mina." He whispers. "I tried to tell you not to look at it."

"I know." I whisper back, still crying. "I should've listened, but I had to know."

Then, someone coughs behind us, and I feel Nix's hug change slightly. It's still comforting, but now it's also protective now. He's wanting to keep me safe. If I weren't so upset, I'd find it funny. I'm an assassin. If anything, I should be protecting him. Instead, Nix is trying to protect me. I force myself to breathe and calm down, till I stop crying.

"Mina?" There's an accusatory note to his voice as he asks my name, and I know instantly that Teague has followed me here. How soon did he realize I wasn't actually sick? He's too smart to fall for that trick for too long. But does that mean he was at the dress shop too? I remember hearing the door open earlier, but not seeing it. Was that Teague? Why on earth did I let myself think it wasn't? "What are you doing?"

"She's crying, you idiot, and letting her best friend try and comfort her, seeing as her boyfriend obviously hasn't done a great job with that." Nix shoots back before I can say anything.

Suddenly, I have a horrifying realization. Nix knew, for awhile, that Teague did this. I introduced them once, and they didn't get along. I assumed their personality clashed, but now I realize that Nix had been trying to insult Teague because he knew what Teague did. Any time I talked about him, Nix seemed to disapprove. It makes sense as to why now. And Nix is going to start getting like that again, especially now that I know, so I need to stop him before something bad happens. I shake my head a little, so that he'll be able to sense it but hopefully Teague won't notice, and slowly pull away. He let's go rather reluctantly, and I turn to face Teague, noting that Nix is still glaring at him. When I look at Teague, I can see that he is scowling as well, arms crossed. He's not pleased at all. Is that because he thinks I'm cheating on him, or because he followed me? Or both? If he's mad because he thinks I'm 'cheating' on him, he's stupid, seeing as he's cheating on me.

"You followed me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. I mean the question in a way Nix won't understand, because I want to know if he knew what was going on in the dress shop or not as well. Does he understand that?

"I saw you coming in here after you told me that you were sick." There's a hint in his voice that I've grown accustomed to hearing when he talks to some of the people we're assassinating in an attempt to befriend and then betray. It's the hint that he's telling the truth, but not the _whole_ truth. It makes me upset. I never expected him to talk to _me_ using that tone. Of course, I also never expected him to be cheating on me and trying to take down Grimm and the Grimorie. And I didn't expect to have to lie to him. So I suppose I can't _not_ expect anything now. "Are you cheating on me?"

I resist the urge to say that I could ask him the same thing, because I don't want to give that away just yet, although I'm suddenly incredibly relieved that the article is hidden. He won't see that that is what I was looking at, so he won't know that I know he was involved in my house's fire. Because I bet he knows it was my house that he lit on fire. But does that mean he knows about my brother's death? Or does he not realize I'm the girl Savannah wanted to get back at all those years ago? I keep asking myself the same question, although phrased differently, unsure of what to think.

"You didn't trust me?" I shoot back, and he doesn't answer. Crossing my arms and scowling, I say, "No, I'm not cheating on you with my best friend. Especially because Nix happens to be dating another one of my close friends, _Ever_. I believe you know her?" I don't mean to have that have a deeper meaning, but I realize it does.

There's no hint on his face that it had any affect on him, but I don't know if he realizes what I mean. "That's not what it looks like."

"I don't care what it _looks_ like." I respond, still sounding snappish. "If you trust me, you'll believe me. If not, maybe we'd better break up."

I wait to see if he'll seize the opportunity. Does he intend on trying to stay with me, so that he can keep using me to get stuff that he needs? He told Savannah it was easier that way. Or will he take the chance that he now has to break up with me? As much as I hate him, I can't imagine breaking up with him. But I mentally prep myself.

He surprises me though by taking a deep breathe and calmly saying, "You're right, Mina. I'm overreacting. I just feel like we've been pulling apart recently," I resist the urge to say that that is his fault, "and I got really worried." So he's just going to keep using me. "Are you ready for our date?" He gives an awkward smile, and I almost say no. I don't though.

As we walk out though, his phone beeps, and he pulls it out of his pocket to check as he apologizes. Once he reads it though, he visibly stiffens, and I tilt my head. I have a feeling it's a text from Savannah. But why is it upsetting him so much?

"Mina, I'm so sorry. Something really important has come up. I'll drive you home. Can we do the date another day? Tomorrow?" He actually looks really worried, and it hurts me.

"Sure." I nod, biting my lip to refrain from saying anything else.

The drive to my house is in silence, and he walks me to room. "Look, Mina, I'm so sorry. I promise, tomorrow we'll go on a date and I'll make everything better, okay?"

"Right." I nod again, and add, "Go handle your important thing, okay?" It's not meant to sound spiteful, but it might, and if it does I don't care.

As he shuts the door, I head over to my locked up phone bug. I need to hear this conversation, because I know Teague. He's about to call someone. I'm betting Savannah. What's got him so worked up that he's stopping the date? Unless he just wanted an excuse to ditch me and go see Savannah, and she gae him one. I plug it in, and prepare to listen.

* * *

 **Woah, that's a lot! Hopefully it wasn't too much to take in, and hopefully you guys thought the chapter had some surprises in it! We're really getting near the end of this story. I'm not positive yet if there will be a sequel. I'm leaning towards "no," although every time I've said that I always end up giving you guys a sequel anyways. So I can't say yet, but I promise the ending is going to surprise! At least, I hope it will. cx**

 **Anyways, please review! I really want to know what you guys thought of this chapter? Was it sad? Frustrating? Upsetting? What do you guys think is up with Teague? Is he cheating on Mina? Is he being blackmailed? Is it something else completely? Is he guilty of this crime Boss is talking about? Or is he being framed? Do you guys have any suspicions about this story? Hopes? Fears? Please, let me know in the reviews! I love hearing about reactions and predictions and thoughts!**

 **Now, I'm going to go update yet another story, so I'll see you there! Keep an eye out for it!**

 **~ Dagger**


	15. Chapter 14 - My Heart

**Chapter Fourteen - My Heart**

 **Woah guys, we're almost at the end of this story. Can you believe it? I can't. For those of you have stuck around to this point, thank you so much! Hopefully you guys will keep sticking around all the way to the end, and maybe even with some of my other stories. For those of you who are no longer following this story, I would still like to thank you! You guys helped me keeping going as well, and for that, I'm super thankful. Of course, it's probably ridiculous that I am being all sappy. We aren't even at the end yet! cx Anyways, I'll just go along with the schedule and stop rambling already.**

 **Evx : I can understand why you are upset, and I'm glad that it made you feel like that. It seems like murdering Savannah throughout multiple fanfictions is going to be a thing now for you. I feel like I tend to make her even worse in my AUs than she actually is. And I agree, what she did is extremely horrible. And yes, Teague did have a part of it. I'm glad that is also upsetting (and haha to the not exactly intended pun). And yes, he probably should realize what he did soon, but whether or not he will in time to fix those problems is yet to be seen. And ah, we'll be finding out if he's getting blackmailed or not in this chapter, so you'll find out soon enough. Although if he is getting blackmailed, would Mina believe it at this point in the game? :c And ah yes, I love playing with people's hearts. Hopefully I'm not killing their hearts though. That wouldn't be nice. c; I'm glad you loved it! Hopefully this update won't be a let down!**

 **Now, let's get to the fun part!**

 **Also, I really like the song "Say Something" by A Great Big World and I feel like it really works for this chapter. c: So if you know that song, you'll already have an idea of what's coming in this chapter. If you don't know it? Well, I suggest listening to it, either before or after you read. ^-^ It's really good!**

* * *

 _Mina's Point of View_

* * *

I look at the now set up phone bug, and as I listen I try and mentally prepare myself for what I am about to have to deal with hearing. I'm not sure if I can stand listening to that rotten, bratty traitor flirt with my traitorous, cheating, liar of a boyfriend who I am waiting to break up with once this is all over, so that it'll hurt. This had better be good and worth him canceling the date - although that might actually be a good thing, as I don't know if I could stand going on a date with him while acting like I'm oblivious - or else I am totally going to break up with him right after this finishes. And even better, I'll do it over the phone, to try and rub some salt in the wound. It probably won't matter too much - it might be a relief to him, except for the fact that he wouldn't be able to use me anymore - but I don't care. I just want to find some way to hurt him.

"Savannah, what on the plane do you want? I told you not to contact me while I was going to go see Mina. You're going to blow everything!" Ha, she already has, but he doesn't know that. It's probably a good thing that he makes it sound like she hasn't yet though. That means he hasn't realized I know. What can I say? I'm good at what I do. I just didn't realize how good Teague was. "You're lucky Mina didn't ask too many questions." He didn't find that suspicious? Did he take stupid pills this morning or what? I _always_ ask more questions than necessary. He should know that! "I'm in a disastrous situation with her already. I don't think you realize how much all this secrecy is damaging the relationship."

It sounds like Savannah finds the whole situation he's explained pathetic. "She's too stupid to ask questions, Teague. As you've noticed, she's very easily blinded and manipulated by you." She pauses, as if for dramatic effect, and then continues in a tone that is way too gleeful in my opinion. "And I can imagine why it's disastrous. She's so clingy and needy, and probably feels like you're neglecting her. This is why you need a big girl."

"Like you?" I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not, but I'm going to assume the latter based on how he's been acting and all the signs I've been noticing.

"Exactly like me." I can almost hear her winking. "You just need to break up with her already. Then there doesn't _have_ to be any secrecy."

"Geez, desperate much?" I mutter, shaking my head in disgust.

Teague huffs. "Then she would notice something is up."

I imagine Savannah shaking her head as she says, "I _told_ you. She's too stupid to catch on. And even if she would _normally_ be smart enough to catch it, she'll be too busy being heartbroken that her boyfriend left her to even consider anything else."

"Just get to the point of why you texted me saying there was an emergency already." Teague growls.

She sighs, and I detect a poutiness in her voice as she says, "Fine. Plans have changed, dear." Just hearing her call him that makes me so angry. "I need you to meet me tonight."

"At the usual spot?" Teague asks, and I take a deep breathe in order to calm down so that I don't throw the device at the wall and break it. They've been meeting multiple times. Of course. I should've assumed that. It's not like they would just be talking over the phone.

"No. Underneath the site of our first partnership. We're going to finalize our plan tonight, and then change courses to enact it as soon as possible." She sounds rather pleased with herself, but I'm just trying to figure out what they're enacting. I mean, I know it has something to do with Grimm and the Grimorie, but what exactly are they planning to do?

"Savannah, the next meeting isn't for a few months, and that would be the most ideal time to do it at." Teague says, as if trying to reason with her. As if that would work on someone as stupid with her. All she has going for her our her looks, and they aren't even that good. "Besides, we still have gaps in the plan. There are details we haven't covered yet."

She brushes his concerns off as if they're bothersome flies. "Nonsense. We don't need to have every detail covered and every gap filled." I would beg to differ, but seeing as they're the 'bad guys' in this situation, it's good they're missing these. "And you and I both know the next meeting isn't in a few months. The next meeting is _tomorrow_. You told me that yourself."

"We'll never be ready by tomorrow!" Teague sounds completely shocked at the suggestion, which I find curious.

"Sure we will be. That's why I'm changing plans and having us meet tonight. I'm already there. You'd better hurry. It's pretty _toasty_ here, if you know what I mean. I wouldn't want to burn up." Savannah sounds quite pleased with her jokes, but they make me shake with rage. I know where they're meeting for sure now. And I'm going to go as well.

Teague sighs. "Fine. I'll be there. Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Of course." And on that note, the call ends.

I sit there for a moment, letting it all sink in, and slowly I let my anger fade away to be replaced with an emotionless state. It's simple, really. I have to do what Boss wanted. I need to eliminate them, and there's one way that's sure to do that. I'll just kill them both. I put the phone bug away. I doubt I'll need it anymore after this, but I don't know. I lock the case, and after gathering some stuff I'll need, I proceed to leave the building. I walk down the stairs, climbing on to my rather illegal motorcycle and heading for the spot that is there meeting place. My old house that they burned down. They picked the cruelest place to meet. I hate them for it.

When I arrive, I pull behind the building next door, which appears to be abandoned. In fact, the whole street happens to be abandoned. Yet they chose to meet underneath my house, in the network of a basement my mom and Mei would never let me explore. It makes me angry just thinking about it, and I have to force myself to calm down yet again and go back to not caring. I'm just going to do the job I was asked to do. I have to pay to support my mother and me. That's all that matters. I don't need my heart. It causes nothing but chaos and hurt.

I watch a car park across the street, one that I've seen many times. It parks behind another car - one I haven't seen - and Teague steps out, heading towards the lot where my house and the Golden Palace once stood. He walks very determinedly in one direction, not looking around. His mistake. A blessing for me though. If he's going to be stupid and forget everything he's learned from being an assassin, then that's his problem. Savannah seems to have made him way too overconfident. Not getting caught for his cheating on me so far might've made him overconfident as well.

He reaches his destination, although I can't figure out what in particular he's stopping at. It must be something though, probably whatever he was so focused on getting to. After glancing around in both directions super quickly - which never does any good and is more for theatrics than anything else I feel - he flips open a trapdoor. I watch him begin to walk down, shutting the door above him as he goes. He's going into the maze of tunnels known as the basement underneath where my old house was.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and then pull up the clock app. After quickly setting a timer for five minutes, I shut it off. It'll light up when it's time. I'll only give them five minutes before I come in after them. I admit, I'm rather impatient after the thirty minute drive it took to get me here, but I don't want to barge in right away. It's much better coming in a bit later, as it makes it more shocking. Sure, I might miss some stuff, but considering what I'm planning to do, I doubt it matters if I miss anything they say.

It seems to take forever for the timer to go off, when in reality it's the exact time I set it to go off it. Finally it does go off though, and I shut it off before walking over to the trapdoor slowly. My hand slips subconsciously to my belt, where my weapon I've decided to use for this case is. I considered bringing a dagger originally, as that's my usual kill method. However, I decided not to use it this time. I told myself that it wouldn't be as effective, which is true, but deep down I know that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was the fact that I don't want to be using a weapon that connects me to the traitor Teague, because it'll just remind me of all the times we worked together. He really fooled me, and I think I might hate him for it. He's done enough damage that I know I'm going to go through with this at least. My hand grasps the gun I brought instead, and I know I'm going to use it.

I reach down, opening the trapdoor, and I stand at the top of the stairs for a few moments. I'm an assassin. I'm not going to be hurt by a boy. It all comes down to one thing. Does my heart or my job matter more now?

I chose my job.

I descend down the stairs slowly, and I begin to look for where Savannah and Teague are. It isn't that hard though. I just have to follow their voices. I can't make out what they're saying at first as I creep along, careful not to make any noise. That, of course, is something I'm quite skilled at. There's a reason they got one of the elite assassins to handle this. I approach a room with the metal door swung open, and I know that's where they are. The noise also proves it as well. I stand against the wall, listening to what commences. I have come in on the middle of the conversation, but I don't care. I don't really need to know what's happening. But there is a part of me that likes the idea of knowing what I'm going to stop them from doing, although at this point I'm not doing this for Boss. I'm doing this for me. Maybe I am doing it for my heart, but I don't care. If my heart also tells me to kill Teague, then that's fine. Both things can be chosen and matter the same, so long as they agree on killing these two. They deserve it.

"-and we'd get caught. I'm telling you, the vents will be better." Teague finishes. "If we want to destroy Grimm and it's field of assassins, we'll have to go up there and set up the attack that way during the meeting. It'll be dangerous though. They have lots of skilled assassins-"

"-like Wilhelmina Grimm?" Savannah finishes, and just hearing her say my name makes me want to kill her, and if I didn't feel like it wasn't the right moment yet, I would go in and shoot her right then and there.

"She's considered one of their more elite, yes." Teague says, after considering it for a moment. What is going on with him? "Look, we both want to destroy Grimm. I get it. But I just want to finish this, so we can part ways and I can disappear, as if I never existed."

"Ah, but you and I both know you won't be disappearing completely." I can hear the smirk on Savannah's voice. "You'll still be visiting me, right? Seeing as we connect so well."

She really is desperate for him. I almost want to say she can have him with a bitter laugh, but I hate her so much that I can't. As much as I hate Teague right now, I hate her much more, and so I can't say that she can have my current boyfriend who won't be my current boyfriend for so long.

"Of course." There's something off about the way he says it, but I ignore it.

That's when I hear it. The sound of quick footsteps, and then the sound of lips touching. They're kissing. He has a girlfriend, yet he's kissing Savannah White. The girl that I have expressed I hate. What does he think he's doing? Does he think this is okay? This is definitely the right time to interrupt.

I step through the door, hand on my gun as I casually lean against the door frame. "Oh, am I interrupting?"

Savannah, even in heels, has to go stretch to reach Teague, and his eyes are wide with shock as they kiss. I'm assuming it's from the fact that I have walked in on him cheating on me. Not to mention plotting to destroy Grimm. He shoves Savannah away from him, looking disgusted. She, on the other hand, looks incredibly hurt. To be more specific, she looks like an ugly puppy that someone just kicked into a mud pit. However, when she turns to see me in the doorway, a rather pleased smirk lights her face.

"Look who's decided to join the party." She says, tilting her head as she looks at me. "How'd you know you were here?"

"You disgust me!" Teague hurls the words at Savannah, but I don't believe them for a second. "I don't care what blackmail you have on me, you've gone too far, White. I may want to destroy Grimm, but I'm not going to be your play thing in the process and keep running stupid errands for you."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Cut the act, Teague. You obviously are incredibly fond of her."

He looks at me, staring at me as if I have lost my mind. "What are you talking about Mina?"

"Do you really think I'm _that_ stupid?" I ask, using my free hand to motion as I talk in order to express myself. Then, in a rather accurate imitation of him, I say the same words he said earlier. "You're lucky Mina didn't ask too many questions." Switching back to my own voice I say, "That didn't seem off to you at all? Did you even care at all during our partnership and relationship? You don't seem to know anything about me, or else you would realize the fact that I _wasn't_ asking more questions would meant that you guys messed up."

"How did you hear the conversation?" He asks, looking completely lost as to how this is happening.

I shake my head yet again. "Can your small brain really not comprehend what's going on, Teague? Some maps, reports, and files about Grimm went missing. The day I went into Boss' office without you, I got assigned a job along with Temple and Tink, and guess what? You were a suspect, and I was assigned to see what I could dig up. I was supposed to prove you innocent."

"I still don't understa-" He begins as Savannah stays silent with her stupid grin, but I cut him off.

"I believed that you were innocent at that time too. But then I broke into your apartment. And you know what I found?" I ask him, even though it's obvious what I found.

He blinks, obviously not expecting this. "You broke into my house?"

"I found _maps_ there first. There was one map for almost every level of Grimm, with different spots circled. Not to mention some notes were jotted down on them. Someone was _obviously_ trying to plan a break in. You know what I found next? _Reports_. They were on security breeches in the past, along with different things that were modified after that. And finally, I found _files_. Files that happened to speak about the highest-ranked assassins - ones that would be a danger to a plot to pull anything off - and things that one might need to know. There was info on Boss, Templestiltskin, and Tinker Bell. And you know who else had a file in that stack?" I pause, and when he says nothing, I nearly spit the answer. " _Me_. Am I danger to your plan, Teague?"

"Mina..." He says slowly, as if to try and calm me down, and he takes a step forward, reaching a hand out to try and calm me.

I gesture with my free hand to try and shove him away if he gets too close, and he takes the hint, stepping back. "No." I spit the word. "I'm not done yet. You see, I didn't want to believe the fact that you had stolen those things. I wanted to keep you safe, and so I didn't tell anyone about what I found out. And when I got home, feeling sick from what I found out, you know what I remembered? That I had planted a _bug_ on your phone when you were arguing with the manager about the seats you'd thought you reserved, and I hooked up my device to let my look at that to my computer. And you know what I found? I found you were talking to Savannah White."

He shakes his head. "Mina, I can explain..."

"No! I am still not done!" I glare at him. "You see, I listened to your little flirting banter that gave me some information, because it let me know that not only where you _using_ me, you were also doing things you didn't want me to know about with Savannah. I can see now - and assumed then - that you were cheating on me, and I can see that you obviously were planning with her."

"I wasn't using you! I told Savannah that so that she wouldn't antagonize you!" Teague says, seeming rather desperate for me to believe him.

I laugh. "I'm supposed to believe that?" When he doesn't respond, I continue. "I slapped myself across the face after hearing that conversation, and then guess who arrived, just like they'd said they would in the phone call? You."

"That's why you wouldn't tell me what happened..." Teague says it as it dawns on him.

"You honestly believed that an assassin like me got a _nosebleed_ over something stupid physically?" I chuckle. "You're pathetic. Hm, what is it that you said about me, Savannah? Because I think that would apply to Teague right now. Oh yes, that's right. 'She's too stupid to ask questions, Teague. As you've noticed, she's very easily blinded and manipulated by you.'" I pause to let it sink in, and then say, "Looks like maybe she should've been talking about you."

He looks incredibly hurt. "Mina, please, let me explain."

"But the story gets better!" I plow ahead, ignoring his request. "You bought my excuse about feeling sick long enough for me to go to a dress shop, where I asked my good friend Ever about the three suspects for the case, even though I knew that if any of them had actually come to buy from her, it would be you. After all, you were able to use me to get connections like her weapon shop since you were my boyfriend, weren't you?"

He looks even more hurt when another realization hits him. "And you didn't want her telling. That's why you told her not to say anything about it to me. Because you suspected me, but didn't want me to know."

"So you were in the dress shop. Good to know. I'm glad to know that at least none of us trust each other in this horribly messed up relationship that needs to end anymore." I grip my gun a bit tighter. "I went to the library next, to talk to one of my other best friends. Nix. You two don't get along too well, do you?" He doesn't say anything to the newest attempt to try and rile him up, so I just continue. "But I didn't ask him if you had gone by, although I have a feeling you probably did at one point or another. No, I asked to see a certain article, even though I had a feeling I knew what I was going to find there. I had to see it for myself. I looked at an article about a _fire_ , Teague. Does that ring a bell? It occurred right here. It killed my younger brother, who I loved more than anything else."

He looks panicked. "I didn't know who he was, or why you were. You can't hold that against me..."

That's the exact wrong thing to say. "You killed my brother! I can hold that against you! And so I cried, and as Nix tried to comfort me, you come in and have the nerve to try and accuse _me_ of cheating on _you_. And finally, after we get to the point where you stop that accusation, we head for the date that we were originally going on, only for you to get a text. And so, after you dropped me off at my house, I listened in on the newest conversation with Savannah, finding out about this lovely meeting. I was here before you, Teague. I watched you come in, and waited before coming in. I felt it was more dramatic. Wouldn't you agree? It catches people more off guard."

That's when I draw my gun, and his eyes widen with realization. "W-What are you doing?"

"I have a job, Teague." I say, my voice losing its emotion. "A job that I'm going to finish, because that's what I was told to do. That matters more to me, especially after you cheat on me with a girl that ruined my life and turned traitor. Not to mention you forgot about me."

He shakes his head. "Mina, I hadn't meant to start working with her. But she ended up finding out about my idea to destroy Grimm, because it's wrong. I was going to make sure you weren't there when it happened. She told me we were going to partner together, and that I had to listen to her or else she'd tell you about what I did!"

"That's a shame." I say sarcastically, and my hand shakes a little as my finger fiddles with the trigger.

"Teague, just lend me some magic." Savannah finally speaks. "I'll flame her. My flame will get to her faster than her gunfire."

"No." Teague shakes his head stubbornly. "I won't allow you to kill her. I love her." Who he's talking to and about, I don't know, but I think he might be talking to Savannah.

"That's a shame." I respond. "Because I am completely willing to kill her, and I'm allowing myself."

I pull the trigger. The shot fires, hitting her directly in the chest, and she falls. I turn to Teague, focusing the gun on him, but it shakes uncontrollably. I can't stop it.

"Mina, don't shoot." He says, still trying to reason with me. "You don't have to do this."

"But I do." My voice cracks a little, and there's a moment where I almost can't pull the trigger.

I turn my head away so I can't see him. I try to hold the gun straight, because I know he hasn't and won't move as he thinks I won't actually shoot him, but the gun shakes uncontrollably anyways. In the end, I just fire it. I then proceed to turn away, not even watching to see it hit it's mark, and run, dropping the gun as I go. It takes me much shorter than expected to make it out, and I'm on my motorcycle faster than I expected. Once there, I go as fast as possible. I need to get away. I can't go back to my apartment. I can't go back to Grimm. I can't go to my mom. There's only one place I really can go, because I know he'll help me.

So I ride for the library, already starting to finally crumble into pieces and cry as I go.

* * *

 **Woah, what? :o Did that seriously just happen? Mina shot Savannah. And then she shot Teague! What is going on? Please let me know opinions, reactions, concerns, hopes, etc. I'll hopefully update soon!**

 **Please review if you did like this update. It was hard to write, but I hope it was worth it! I also hoped it played with your feelins some too. Do you believe what Teague saud? Was Mina right to kill him? ;-;**

 **See you next time!**

 **~ Dagger**


	16. Chapter 15 - How To Handle Murder

**Chapter Fifteen - How To Handle Murder**

 **And here we are guys. The final chapter of Killer Of My Heart. It's been a great run, even though it's taken quite awhile to get here. Hopefully it's been worth it for you guys, and hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter! I'm excited to write this, as I've had this ending planned for awhile, and I think the ending will be well worth it. At least, I'd like to hope so. You guys will have to let me know how you feel about the end!**

 **Evx : I see there is no sympathy for the dead Savannah White. Poor girl. No one seems to love her. cx And you believe Teague? Interesting. As for why he wanted the destruction of Grimm, well, that might remain a mystery, or it might not. We'll just have to see, and if it isn't explained, you'll just have to decide what his reasoning was by yourself. And you don't think she killed Teague? Hm, that's quite another interesting theory. I agree that Mina had a right to shoot him and was not wrong for doing that though. I don't think I would've actually been able to go through with shooting him though.**

 **Anyways, let's see the end of this story, shall we?**

* * *

 _Mina's Point of View_

 _Three years later..._

* * *

"And so, she went to the library, and her best friend knew the moment he saw her that she needed help. You see, since she was no longer apart of Grimm, Grimm would see her as being against them. She couldn't go back to her family either. That would be the first place they would. So he helped her hide, essentially adopting her as a sister. And they lived. The end." I finish my story, refusing to say they lived 'happily ever after' if they didn't. After all, the story isn't finished yet, although these kids don't know that.

I look at the three sets of eyes looking at me, and quickly realize their should be four. I look down at my lap to see the little girl named Jinx sitting there is fast asleep. How she managed to fall asleep during that story, I'll never know, but it's cute to watch the purple-and-black haired girl that's sleeping on my lap. I look back at the other three children seated on the ground around me.

"That was a good story, Aunty Mina!" The other girl speaks first, grinning at me. Her wings flutter a little as she speaks, and she shoves her red hair with its purple streaks out of her brown eyes.

I smile back at her. "Thanks, Rosaline."

Her twin nods his head in agreement. "It was. Thank you for telling it to us!" His hair is opposite of hers, seeing as it is short, purple, and it has red streaks. He has wings that match her's, and the only other physical difference besides the fact that Rosaline is a girl and Caspian is a boy is the fact that Caspian has green eyes.

"You're welcome, Caspian." I say, cradling Jinx - who is still asleep - in my arms as she sleeps.

The two run off, and I realize that the eldest child is still sitting there. He stands, wearing a look on his face that says he's pondering something quite intently. His brown eyes meet mine, and he runs a hand through his red hair nervously. I can tell he wants to say something - or perhaps ask me something - but I can't say I have any idea what. He's rather unpredictable, and way smarter than the average eight year old. So, I decide to prompt him.

"What's up, sport?" I ask, offering him an encouraging smile.

He's still frowning, and carefully asks me the question that seems to be on his mind. "Was that story about you?"

That stops me cold, because I wasn't expecting him to piece that together. I stare at him for a minute, dumbfounded at the fact that an eight year old could figure that out. Granted, he's above intelligence and Fae, not to mention I've been living with him for about eight years, but still.

"That's a difficult question to answer, Arthur." I answer, shaking my head.

This seems to puzzle him even more though. "How is it difficult to answer? It's a yes or no question."

I sigh. "No, it's not. It seems like it to you, but it's not for me. One day, when you're older, I'll explain that story to you again, and that time I'll tell you who it's about. Okay?"

For a moment I think he's going to demand that I tell him, but then he doesn't. "Okay," However, he pauses, and I have a feeling there's going to be a catch, "but you have to promise."

There it is. The catch. Thankfully, it's one I can agree to, because I intend to keep my word. "Promise."

"Alright." He glances at the door way his siblings ran through, and then at the stairs which lead upstairs. "I'm going to be in my room, if my mom and dad asks."

"Thanks for telling me." I watch him travel up the stairs, and once he's out of sight I stand up, still holding Jinx in my arms. She's exhausted, and I don't want to wake her up. I'm sure once her parents see her they'll tell me whether or not she should be awoken.

Speaking of which, I hear the door, and after a few hello's from the other room, mom walks . Ever offers me a smile as she walks in, shaking her purple and black hair out of her eyes as she does. I never realized just how much older she was than me when I was buying from her and talking, but she's got a few years on me. The same goes for Nix. I didn't realize they'd gotten married either, till I ran to Nix seeking help and he brought me back to his house, explaining that to me on the way. Naturally, I was excited to hear it, but it still was a surprise.

She extends her arms, taking Jinx into them. "Thanks for taking care of them while Nix and I were out work. I wasn't expecting her to go to sleep, although she needs it."

I chuckle. "I've noticed."

"I have something to ask you though." A sly smile slips onto her face, and I have a feeling I'm not going to like it. "You see, Nix was talking to me about your recent friendship with a _guy_."

Oh crap. Now I know what's coming. "His name is Templestiltskin, if that's what you're wondering."

"Oh no, I already know that. I asked him about that." She waves it off, and I'm starting to wonder what she's going to ask me. "And I already know who he is. He bought stuff from me sometimes."

If the story - which might not have been the best story to tell children, now that I reflect on it, although I bet most of it went over their heads - wasn't bad enough to drag back memories from the past, that comment is. Templestiltskin was a part of Grimm too. _Was_ being the key word. Soon after I got help from Nix and disappeared off the radar, Grimm was destroyed in a fire. The old recycling center that was the Grimorie was destroyed along with it. So, I was shocked when I ran into him quite literally. Both of us had been in a rush and while neither of us really knew each other, Templestiltskin is hard to forget. Surprisingly enough, he remembered me too. We exchanged stories, and he told me that he'd been on a mission for Grimm the day it and Grimorie were destroyed. That's the only reason he survived. He took an interest in keeping in contact with me, which was nice, and after a few months we've gotten pretty close. After all, he's pretty much my only friend besides Nix, Ever, and their family.

"Right." I nod my head, dragging myself off Memory Lane.

She raises an eyebrow. "So, are you guys an item?"

I shake my head furiously. "What? No! No no no. We're not an item. We aren't dating."

"You aren't?" She sounds incredibly disappointed, as if she was really hoping I'd gotten a boyfriend.

Ha. As if that'll ever happen. Templestiltskin and I haven't been friends long enough to even consider that - I think, as I personally feel I jumped into my first relationship too quickly - and besides, I've learned my lesson with dating. The disaster known as Teague ruined any image of it that I had, and I don't think I could handle dating after that. I think I'm just supposed to be forever alone. And, to be honest, that's okay with me. I've had three years to chew on that, and I've come to terms with it.

"No, we aren't." I turn to go for the stairs, but Ever stops me again.

"You can't let what happened with Teague dictate what happens in your life now." She says softly, in a sympathetic and pitying tone. It just infuriates me, and when I was still in the killing business, I would've temporarily hated her for it. I don't want to be an object of pity. I'm not letting him dictate what happens in my life. How does she not understand that? "You should give Templestiltskin a chance."

I end up hissing my response to her, my hands balling up into fists. I don't regret it though. My heart was killed a long time ago, and that realization hits me all over again during situations like this. "I'm not letting him dictate my life, Ever! The fact is that Temple isn't trying to date me. We're just friends. Besides, I'm not meant to date. I think we can see that based off of how I handle things." I spit the last words, and Ever looks appalled.

Jinx begins to open her eyes as she wakes up, and I do admit that I feel a stab of pity for waking her up. Ever glances at her daughter, and then glares at me. "Maybe you should go to your room and calm your jets."

It's time like these that I remember why I can tend to dislike Ever. There's no in between with her; I either love her or hate her, and the same goes with how she feels about me. She's literally sending me to my room as if I'm another one of her kids. I want to say no just to disagree, but I then remind myself that this is her house. Besides, Nix isn't home to stop an argument before it goes horribly. So, I say nothing, going upstairs and shutting the door to my room.

I sit up there for awhile on my bed, not really thinking about anything. It's like I'm sleeping with my eyes open, I guess. I learned how to do it while I was still doing missions. It was a helpful trick when you just wanted to rest and don't want to deal with nightmares. I still have them, and they seem to have grown out of hand recently. I hate it.

The thing that jolts me out of it is the sound of a gun going off down below, followed by the loud wail of a young child. There's screaming from two younger children as well, mixed in with the shouts of a guy. Nix must be home, but I don't know what's going on below. However, the gun shot and the fact that there's one person downstairs who's not making any noise hints me in on what it might be. Assassins. I know they've been trying to find me. My mom was killed not too long ago, and our home was burned down again. If I'm right, then anyone downstairs is already dead. I force myself to handle the fact, and although I have a feeling I might cry later, I don't now. Instead, I go as quickly and quietly as I can to the bedroom across from me, which happens to be Arthur's. He's still up here. There's a chance that I can save him.

As I enter the room, I can tell he knows something is up. He looks petrified, standing in his room, and when he sees me his face melts in relief. He rushes over to me as another gunshot rings out below. One of the screams halts, and I realize now that along with Ever, one of the twins is lying on the floor dead. Another gunshot goes off, and the other scream - which grew more infuriated - stops as well. That's both of them. The loud wail of Jinx and the Fae, shouted swearing of Nix is all that's left.

I can tell that Arthur is about to ask a question - or start crying - and I can't have that. We need to do this as quietly as possible, or they'll find us. So, I decide to stop him from doing anything by whispering, as I've come up with a quick, cheap plan. "Sh. Arthur, we're going to play a game, okay? The object of this game is to be as quiet as possible. We're going to slide on the gutter down to the ground, and then we're going to go for a drive. You remember my story, right? Well, if you win the game, I'm going to explain to you what you wanted to know about my story. Okay? Does that sound good?"

He nods his head, and I hold a finger up to my mouth to remind him to be quiet. He sniffs quietly, trying to put on a brave face, and I creep over to the window. There's a lot of thuds and shattering happening downstairs, and Jinx's wail continues. Apparently Nix is putting up a good fight. It pains me to realize that no matter what he does, it's not going to help. He'll be dead either way. I've got to save his child. It's the only thing I can do that will even slightly repay him for all he's done for me. Thankfully, the gutter isn't by any windows. I gesture for Arthur to come over, and help him quickly climb out the window. He clings onto the gutter, staring up at me with wide eyes.

"Trust me," I whisper, "and slide down."

Another gunshot goes off from downstairs. The wailing stops, and I hear Nix scream words of fury at the assassins. "What are you doing? You've just murdered harmless children!"

"Go!" I whisper-shout, and he slides down. I follow after, pulling the window shut behind me. Once we're down, I pick him up. Thank goodness I still have a good amount of muscle from my time as an assassin. "We've gotta go, okay?"

Another gun shot goes off, and I hear a loud swear word. They must've tried to shoot Nix and missed. However, I can't stay to find out when he dies. I hold Arthur tighter, running through the grass. Their yard is so big. Now I realize the disadvantage of them being out in the middle of nowhere. I should've realized it before. It's something an assassin would look at it and say was perfect. However, I goofed up. There's no way to fix it now. I keep running as fast as I can, and Arthur buries his head in my shoulder, crying. I think it's more out of fear than anything else. I don't think he's realized what's happened just yet. Finally, I make it to the next house and their garage. I'm panting, but it's okay. I couldn't transform anything so close to the house, or else they'd be able to identify me. This way, it might appear as if I'm one of the neighbors. I couldn't get a car from Nix's house either. I would've had to pass the window, and it would've given us away.

"Do you trust me, Arthur?" I ask as I set him down, and he nods at me. "Good, because I'm about to show you some stuff you probably won't believe. You know how your siblings have wings they need to hide from other people, like when they're at school?"

"Ya." He nods.

I take a deep breathe, knowing his parents never explained this. His siblings have wings should help me though. "Well, I have some strange stuff like that. I have magic, Arthur, and I need to use it to rescue us, okay? You're just gonna have to trust me." Please trust me, I plead silently.

He frowns. "Magic isn't real."

"We don't have time to debate this." I glance through the garage window, looking at the car they have inside. If these assassins have been watching, they might know the cars, which gives me an advantage. The neighbors have a gravel driveway, so I pick a stone and with a great amount of energy, transform it into a replica of the black car in the garage. Arthur stares in shock. "What are you waiting for? Get in the passenger seat. I don't care if you aren't old enough, it's easier for me if you're in front."

He climbs in to the passenger seat as instructed, buckling in a haste. I hop in as well, not bothering to buckle as I start the car. Nix has to be dead by now, and if he's not, he will be soon. I don't know how long it'll take them to realize I'm gone, and I don't know if they know abut Arthur. Hopefully, it takes them a long time. I need as much time as possible to get Arthur and me out of here.

"Here we go." I start the car, spinning it around recklessly and driving it down the driveway. I then mutter to myself, putting a Glamour over me. My hair changes to a strawberry blonde in color spins itself into curls. If I did it correctly, my eyes change to a pretty blue, and my skin lightens slightly, dotting itself with freckles. If I had something to transform, I'd give myself glasses, but I don't. This will have to do. As I drive a bit above speed limit but not enough to be suspicious, I glance at Arthur, who gapes at me. "We're gonna have to change how you look too. I don't want you to be identified."

"You have to tell me what happened to my family." He argues, crossing his arms.

I don't yet, taking my hands off the steering wheel temporarily to buckle and stick my hair into a ponytail. I hate ponytails. Hopefully that'll throw any assassins off. I mutter the Glamour again while I do, and watch as Arthur's skin pales to match mine. His hair lightens to blonde, and his eyes become a blue that's only slightly lighter than mine. He grows a bit taller as well, and glances at me in shock. Our clothes have changed as well, although I don't really care what they've changed to. So long as they're different and don't say who we actually are on them, I'm happy.

"How are you doing all this?" Arthur demands again as I put my hands back on the steering wheel and face forward. "This isn't possible!"

I take a deep breathe to make sure I'm calm. "I told you, Arthur. Magic. It doesn't matter what else I can do with it. For all I know, you might be seeing me use more of it, although if I were you I'd hope you don't. You can do some magic too, most likely. Both of your parents could. It'd be pretty strange if you didn't inherit it."

"I'm dreaming." Arthur whispers. "No, not dreaming. I'm having a nightmare."

This poor kid. I know how much he must be struggling. It's horrible. "I'm sorry, Arthur. You aren't dreaming, and while you are in a nightmare, it's one that's occurring in real life. You want an answer to your question earlier? Yes, I am the girl in the story. It was difficult to answer your question because I thought I'd grown older and changed, but as it turns out, I haven't. There are people after me. I don't know who, but they're bad, and they want to hurt me. They're hurting anyone around me as well."

"Why were there gunshots downstairs? And why were people screaming, and then no longer screaming?" Arthur is smart. I think he already knows the answer. He wants me to tell him he's wrong though, and sadly, I can't.

So, I try to avoid it. "Arthur..."

"What was going on down there?" He nearly howls the words, and I take a deep breathe, trying to dissuade him from asking once more, only for him to demand it. "Aunt Mina, tell me what was going on down there!"

"Don't say I tried not to tell you." Once I say that, I get straight to the point. "They were shooting your family. I don't know what happened when they did, but they're probably dead. If I guess correctly, they'll have burned the house down by now too." Arthur begins to sob, shaking his head and trying to deny it. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. Your family would still be alive if it wasn't for me."

He doesn't forgive me. I know he won't later easier. He just puts his face in his hands, sobbing. I look back at the road, and glance at the rear view mirror. When I do, I choke at what I see. A car. A very familiar car. A car that I've ridden in multiple times. Teague's car. I can't see who's driving it though. I know it's not Teague. I shot him. He's dead. But it's definitely his car, and I have a feeling that speeding up won't work. If anything, it'll draw attention to us. I'm hoping that maybe, by remaining calm, the driver will decide it's not us. That's probably far-fetched. It's too much to hope that these aren't the assassins though. I have a feeling they chose Teague's car specifically to torment me.

I grab my phone, tapping Temple's number and calling him. It rings once. Twice. Three times. I panic, thinking he won't answer.

"Temple, you have to help me." I nearly sob with relief when he picks up. "I've got assassins after me. They murder Nix, Ever, and their family. I managed to save their one son, but I think they're tailing me." I glance back to see that we've pulled ahead of the car a little. "I need your help."

"Where are you? I'll come get you. The two of us can fight them off, Mina. We were assassins ourselves. The elite. The best of the best." As much as I want to share his hope and optimism in our skills, I can't.

"No." I shake my head. "No, I need you to get Arthur. I can't let him die because of me, Temple. I can't."

"How am I supposed to get him if they're tailing you?" He asks it, and I realize I'm being stupid. What's my plan?

I come up with an idea, and begin to say it. "We-" Then I stop, glancing through the rear view mirror. The car is gone, and there haven't been any turn offs. "The car is gone."

"That's a good thing, right?" I don't think Temple believes what he says - at least I hope not - and I see Arthur visibly pale beside me.

I nearly begin to cry yet again. Apparently being strong is not my strong suit right now. The stress of trying to get Arthur - not me - out of this alive is overwhelming though. How can I save this kid?

"No, no it's not." I stare ahead, and then scream, dropping the phone as I spin the car around recklessly. I barely miss colliding with Teague's car, which has appeared ahead of us, and we slide off the road. I unbuckle, and Arthur does as well. "Get out! Get out and run!"

He scrambles to climb out as I shove my door open, coming out along with him. I grab his hand, jerking him away from the road as one of the doors of the other car open. Then, I release it, shoving him forward.

"Run!" I scream the order at him.

He trips as he starts to run away, and I glance at the road. A black-haired guy has stepped out of the car, and horror runs through me. I look back at Arthur, who's standing in the field. He's waiting for me. "Come on!"

"No, Arthur, you're going without me! I need you to go into town. Go to," I have to think for a moment to remember the address as I glance at the road to see that the guy is approaching quickly, "295 River Avenue, okay? Say that you're looking for Templestiltskin, and that Wilhelmina Grime sent you. Make sure to tell him your name is Arthur." When he still stands there, I scream at him again. "Go!"

As he turns and takes off, I let the Glamours drop as I turn to face my assassin. I'm going to die right now. I can only pray that Arthur survives. As I look at him approach, I decide that I can at least not go down without a fight. I fling my hands out, using Fae magic to shove this guy back. He's dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans, and wears black shoes. I can see that he's grinning, but that's pretty much it.

In response, I get a ball of fire hurled at me. I have to throw myself out of the way to not get hit in the face by it, but I smack my head off the ground in the process. Reeling, I stand up again, but he's nowhere in sight. That's when I feel the barrel of a gun against my back.

The voice sounds familiar, but it's impossible. "Don't try anything funny."

I snarl in response. "Too much of a coward to face me, Teague? You can't look me in the eye when you kill me?"

"You didn't look my brother in the eye when you shot him, now did you?" The guy responds, and that throws me for a loop. This isn't Teague. So I did kill him. "Confused? I'm not surprised. From what I can tell, Teague didn't tell you much about his family, or his brother. I'm Jared. Nice to meet you." He's mocking me with the greeting. "It's a shame, really. You probably could've gotten away if you weren't so determined to save that boy. Now you're both going to die."

I vaguely remember Teague mentioning a brother. It was back when we were first partnered together, when I wanted nothing to do with him. He was trying to talk to me, and he told me he had a younger brother. I didn't ask him anything about that brother. Partly because I didn't want to talk, and partly because I'd spotted the hotel.

I tilt my head back to look him in the face. It matches Teague's exactly, besides looking slightly younger, and at first I can't tell the difference. However, his eyes are closed. When he opens them, I see that they're gray. His grin grows wider, and he points with his free hand for me to look ahead. I do.

The heart that I thought had been murdered crumbles even more. A guy carries Arthur towards us, wrapping his arm around the kid's neck an holding a gun to his head. Arthur kicks to no avail, and I look at the guy. He's wearing a matching outfit to this brother's. His hair is black, only slightly different. But his eyes. I recognize his eyes, but at the same time, I don't. They're older. Crueler. But they're still the same blue they were when I shot him and assumed he was dead.

"Hello, Mina." He says, meeting my gaze for a moment, before turning his attention to his brother. "Jared, keep the gun trained on her while you come over here and switch positions with me. I think she and I need to have a chat."

"Teague." I spit the words at him pitifully as Jared slowly removes his gun from my back, although I can tell that - as Teague said - the gun is still trained on me. He moves slowly, but I don't stay focused on Teague. I make eye contact with Arthur, and he stares at me with fear written on his face. He's the best lip reader I've ever met though, and so I move my mouth to silently say, "When I nod my head, kick him and run."

Jared's gun is trained on my forehead as he makes it over to Teague, and as Teague moves his gun and arm, I nod. Arthur slips down, and kicks Teague in his spot. Because Jared's gun is still on me, he can't shoot Arthur, but his attention is diverted as Teague steps back, probably taken more by surprise than actually in pain. Arthur runs, and when Jared looks like he's going to move his gun, I fling my hands forward, causing the gun to fly from his hands. I squeeze at his neck with my Fae magic, so that he can't run after Arthur. Teague has now recovered, and he glances at Arthur running.

"Save your brother or kill Arthur. Your choice." I glare at him, letting all emotion leave my voice.

He chuckles, sending chills up my spine. It's not a very pretty sound, and it's certainly changed in these past three years. "I thought you would appreciate the bond that two siblings have, Mina, and how devastating for one when the other dies."

"At least you get a choice. I didn't have a chance to save my brother. Your brother's death will be on your conscience, not mine, if you don't choose to save him. Just like how I had to deal with the guilt of my brother dying, because I blamed myself. Except in that case, it wasn't my fault, was it? It was yours." I refuse to look away, and he puts his hands up in mock surrender.

I take note that he still is holding his gun. "Fine. You win." The moment I release my grip, he moves his gun to shoot at me. And he does. I roll away, barely managing to get back. "No more tricks, Mina."

"Should I go after the boy?" Jared asks as I recover, crouching in a position to roll away if needed.

"No, he's too far gone now. Grab your gun. I don't want her trying anymore tricks." Teague is obviously in charge here, and he keeps his gun trained on me as Jared grabs his own before returning, training it on me as well.

I glare at him, taking a deep breathe. "How did you survive?"

He bitterly chuckles. "How did I survive when you tried to brutally murder me? Well, it seems that you overlooked a flaw in your plan to shoot me. You see, I'm a Royal. Royals don't die when you shoot them. You shot me in the chest, sure, but it was like a paper cut. I let you think otherwise though. It was obvious that you had wanted to murder me. I know that you always felt that I wasn't a great assassin. I wasn't enough of a monster in your opinion, even though you were barely a monster compared to some of the other assassins. So you know what? I decided to embrace what you thought I was and wanted me to be. You thought I was a traitor. You wanted me to be a monster. So that's what I'm doing. I went through with my plan and destroyed Grimm. Then, after awhile, I went to your house to try and murder you, but you weren't there. Your mother was though, so I murdered her. Then I searched for you. And searched. But you were well hidden, and you kept hiding. Now, I've finally found you."

"So what? Are you going to murder me now?" I keep looking up at him as I move to stand, keeping my hands facing the ground so I don't get shot at yet. I want to know when I'm going to die, but I also want to die with dignity. I don't want to die groveling.

"Oh no. That would be too easy. You wouldn't feel like I did." He grins at me, and I suddenly realize that I'm in a much worse position than I thought. That's also when I register that Jared has moved. He's behind me again. Why, I don't know, but he's there. "No, I'm not going to kill you."

"Let me guess, 'but I'm going to wish that you did?'" I finish, deciding I might as well just go for it. It's not like anything I do right now is going to change what happens. I have to wait for that.

He smirks a little. "Perhaps."

Then Teague nods, and the butt of a gun slams into my head. Pain shoots through me, and I can tell without reaching my hand up to feel it that I am bleeding. I refuse to cry as he does it twice more, even though the pain feels unbearable. As he goes to do it again and I wonder if maybe I am going to die after all, Teague stops him.

"That's enough, Jared. We don't want to kill her." He holds a hand up as he says it. "Grab her and we'll get her in the trunk."

* * *

 **And that is the end of Killer Of My Heart! That ending was very interesting to write, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm not sure if anyone caught it, but Arthur and Jinx are both characters in Trouble : The New Generation. They're both Never's kids as well. Caspian and Rosaline will also be making appearances in that story.  
**

 **Please let me know how you guys felt about this story! Was it good or bad? Did you guys expect some of the things that happened? How many of you remembered Teague mentioned he had a younger brother back in Chapter Two?**

 **As of right now, there is no planned sequel to this story, so you guys can imagine what happens next on your own. Does that mean for sure there won't be one? Not necessarily, no. I tend to say this and then change my mind later a lot. But if there is one, it won't be here for awhile. That would be because - as I said - a sequel isn't intended. Plus, I have a lot of other stories that I need to tend to. Trouble : The New Generation is definitely going to have a few books in its "series," and Little Black Star might. Spotlight is just going to be a long project, and I need to continue Who Dun It : Grimm Edition. Not to mention there are other stories I have on here - does anyone remember I Won't Say I'm In Love, or has it been so long that that has been Forgotten? - that need their sequels written. _Plus_ I'd also like to rewrite a few of my stories on here. Hide and Seek is one of those, as I feel like there's a lot I could do with it, and Forgotten and Remembered are another two that might get a rewrite. There are also quite a few new story ideas I have bouncing around in my head. To put it simply? It'll take awhile for their to be a sequel if there even is one. But, think about it this way. You guys can decide what happens next!**

 **Thank you so much for reading this story! I hope the ending shocked you, and that it was interesting!**

 **~ Dagger**


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